Star Fox Pandemonium
by Genji Kazemaru
Summary: When the paradise that is Corneria is plagued by the curse that is the King of Evil Ganondorf, it is up to the Sailor Soldiers, Star Fox, and Sly Cooper's team of thieves to save the world from demons and the Heartless.
1. Chapter 1

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

Sailor Moon's Amazing Lylat Tour

Serena Tsukino, Amy Mizuno, Rei Hino, Lita Kino, Mina Aino, and Zoey Yuki packed their bags and readied their star ship and charged up their dimensional door. Their mission was simple. They were going to take a camera crew and visit every world in the Lylat System and make quick commentaries on each of planet as well as interview people. After they visit the boring and lifeless worlds first, they will go to the metropolitan and fun party worlds and film their partying for the memories. Amara Tenoh, Michelle Kaioh, and Trista Meioh would go to Corneria, the main planet of the system, before them and reestablish some of the business ties.

"So what are we going to do?" Lita asked Zoey.

"This is going to be a learning experience," said Zoey. "It will be good to see new places. We could go to planets in our dimension too."

"The reason we are going to the Lylat System is simple," said Mina in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Would you like to explain?" asked Rei." I still don't know why you and Serena were so avid about wanting to go here."

"We'll tell you," said Serena. "The reason we want to go there is…" She broke off to build suspense.

"Yes?" said Rei, Zoey, Lita, and Amy in unison.

"…Because it is full of adorable aliens!" cheered Serena.

"That is your big reason?" questioned Rei. "You are such a dumpling head, Serena."

"It is a good idea," said Mina. "Have you seen some of the species from the some of planets in the Republic? Most of them are hard to look at. The Lylat System guarantees us a time with adorable animal people."

"I wouldn't mind that," said Zoey. "It totally beats having to hang out with Kaminoans. They're hard to look at and boring. Talking to them is like talking to Nicolas Cage."

"Aren't they just the most boring creatures in the Republic?" added Lita. "The entire insides of their facilities are white and grey. Don't get me started on those monotone voices."

"So, Rei?" Serena said to Rei cutely to gain appeal. "Isn't this a good idea?"

Rei did not say anything for a moment. "It does sound like a pretty kick a** place."  
"Yeah!" cheered Serena and Mina happily.

"I look forward to learning from the people," said Amy. "It is very important to learn from this trip. All the planets in the Lylat System have stories to tell. It will be so fascinating."

"And we're going to party!" cheered Mina.

"Of course," laughed Amy. "I would like to have fun too."

The girls got their stuff together and boarded their personalized Miranda Class Refit Starship, the Moon Carriage, and whizzed through the dimensional gate.


	2. Chapter 2

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

Over Titania and through Macbeth

The Lylat Tour Begins

The Moon Carriage made it through the dimensional gate and went through hyperspace straight to the Lylat System. Like they had agreed, the Sailor Soldiers would visit the lamest worlds first and enjoy the better ones last. Their last destination of their tour would be the planet Corneria, the Lylat System's equivalent of Earth. The first place they visited was Titania, a barren desert world that once supported life a long time ago. Amy read off cards that had facts about Titania while on the camera. The way she spoke was both soothing and knowledgeable. After that was done, they had little conversation about Titania off camera.

"Why did we have to visit a desert planet?" whined Serena. "We have deserts and ruins at home. At least Tatooine has some kind of nightlife, you know, if you avoid the crime infested places."

Their next stop was the ocean world of Aquas. Aside from the fact that it was almost completely covered in water, it actually had a fascinating history. Like Titania, it used to have a flourishing society, but a traumatic event led to the planets flooding. Beautiful and majestic architectural masterpieces were still standing at the bottom of the seas. The girls didn't bring a submersible vehicle with them, so they could not go see the underwater buildings and animals for themselves, but they still had pictures acquired through the Cornerian Internet. Since it was much more interesting because of the awesome pictures, all six girls contributed to the part of the documentary on Aquas.

Their next destination was Venom. As the name suggests, it is a horrid world of nothing but cliffs and a poisonous atmosphere. It also had terrible history. It was the base of operations to a megalomaniac named Andross. This anthropomorphic monkey tried to take over the entire Lylat System with an iron fist. To show their own distaste of the world, the girls decided to open the segment with a joke.

"What can we say about Venom?" said Serena. "You know what, nothing good!"

They then knocked out Fortuna and Fichina in dead runs. Both planets were dull. All of them were impatient because they wanted to get out of their ship and do stuff. Macbeth was a world devoted entirely to industry. Most of the planet was mostly factories and depots. The girls did leave the ship and take a look at a supply train. The cars on the supply trains on this planet were a ten times the size of train cars on Earth. Rei interviewed the conductor of one of the supply trains. Aside from that Macbeth was pretty dull.

After Macbeth they went to Katina, which was home to the Cornerian Defense Base. There were large amounts of troops and soldiers stationed on the planet to act as a barrier for Corneria. Thanks to the PR connections established by Galactic Corporation, the girls were able to get an interview with an ace pilot from the army. Once through the blanket of clouds, they saw that the planet's surface was predominately wastelands of brown stone and semi-arid climate. The shipyard was loaded with large battleships and single-pilot fighters. Only one small spot was available for civilian visits. The other spots were strictly reserved for army personnel. Then again this was quite understandable since the world was quite barren and had few sources of water. The Moon Carriage fit snuggling in the open slot.

"Is there anything we need to know about this planet before we disembark, Amy?" Zoey asked.

"There isn't much," said Amy. "This world's atmosphere is quite adaptable. The troops here are proud and strong. Do not do anything to offend them." Everyone's eyes went to Serena and Mina.

"Why are you guys looking at me?" said Serena, feeling annoyed.

The girls and their entourage of a cameraman and two assistants came walking down the paved road to the Corneria Defense Force Base. The Corneria Defense Force Base looked like a pyramid that lost is tip and was now flat at the top. It was golden colored with purple tinted windows.

"It does have a commanding presence," said Zoey. "Remember to be on your best…"

"Hello, everyone!" Serena cheered in front of the camera. "This is Serena Tsukino."

"I am Mina Aino!"

"And we are coming to you from the Corneria Defense Force Base on Katina. We are continuing our week-long trip where we visit the most populated and jumpin' planets in the Lylat System."

"Yesterday we brought you a little slice of Macbeth, and before that we showed you little snippets of the lesser inhabited planets. Today we will interview an ace pilot, and he'll tell us some stories on some of the recent events in the Lylat System.

"So come along with us as we explore more of the Lylat System on our tour. Amazing!" Serena and Mina turned around to see that ten troops had surrounded them. Most of them were anthropomorphic dogs. Each one wore a green helmet that bore the symbol of the Cornerian Army. The helmets had dark visors that went over their eyes and holes on the tops for their ears to poke through. They had the same height as full grown human man. With their eyes hidden, it was hard to tell what they were feeling.

"Hello!" said Serena as though she were speaking to an audience on TRL with a useless microphone in her hand. "You must be soldiers in the Cornerian Army. It is an absolute pleasure." She waited for their response with sparkling eyes.

One of them stepped forward and stared down at Serena. Judging by his ears and visible fur, he was probably an Alaskan Husky. He looked down at her in the same condescending way like policeman do when they give a ticket.

"This is a military base," he said sternly, "not a beach party on Zoness."

Serena's smile melted away.

"Our deepest apologies, sir," said Amy with a bow. "We are tourists. Now that you've warned us, it won't happen again."

"Not again," Rei hissed quietly to Serena and Mina.

"I would hope not," said the man. "I am Sergeant Alan Kenes. I have been instructed to give you a proper tour. When I tell you to turn off the cameras, turn off the cameras."

"Yes, sir," the girls said,

They followed Sergeant Kenes into the base. The troops eyed the group suspiciously. None of the girls said a word. Even though the troops were just like human troops, ready to shoot to kill if any threat were to pop up, their cutesy animal appearance made it hard for Serena and Mina to take them seriously. Once they were to the doors of the base, Sergeant Kenes told them to shot the camera off. Only the girls and one cameraman were allowed inside the building. The inside of the base was quite plain. The walls were all colored a dingy cream color. As far as previously visited military facilities go, the girls did not see anything out of the ordinary. Like the rest of them, there were no chairs for visitors. Troops walked by and didn't even look at them thanks to their sharp discipline. The girls were instructed to go to a room and wait for their appointment. That room was painted off-white with no windows and twenty small desks lined in rows of five.

"Stay here and don't move," said Sergeant Kenes. He left the room with a door slam.

"Well…" said Serena before being immediately cut off by Rei.

"Why would you two idiots act like MTV hosts at a freakin' military base?" snapped Rei. "You would never pull this in the Jedi Temple."

"We're sorry," said Mina, clearly feeling guilty. "We thought they would be fine with it. They just look so cuddly and adorable."

"I just want to rub one of their bellies," said Serena, thinking about it.

"Here's a heads up for you," said Rei sharply. "You shouldn't want to rub the belly of anything that is holding a gun."

"What if there are cameras in this room?" said Lita, frantically looking around the room. "What if they heard us?"

"Calm down, Lita," said Zoey.

"We don't have as much leeway here," said Rei. "Galactic Corporation wasn't and isn't a superpower here. If we screw up too badly, we could be screwed."

"No cameras," said Lita with relief.

A moment soon after Alan Kenes came back into the room. He told them that only one of them could go to the interview. Serena immediately volunteered herself before consulting the other girls. She and the cameraman followed the sergeant out of the room.

"Why did she get to go?" whined Mina. "I have more experience. Regis told me that I am one of the Kelly's substitute choices."

The three entered an elevator. As the elevator climbed the floors, the silence was strong. Serena tapped Sergeant Kenes on the shoulder. Without turning around, he said, "What is it, Miss Tsukino?"

"It is Mrs. Tsukino," said Serena raising her hand to show her ring. "Who do I have the pleasure of interviewing?"

"You will be meeting a young ace pilot of ours," he answered. "His name is Bill Grey. He should be acceptable for _your_ audience."

_What do you mean by that?_ thought Serena. _Older people like our stuff too._

The doors opened to another hall. Once they were guided to the door they needed, it opened and only Serena and the cameraman entered, and Alan told them they could turn the camera on. The room looked like a simple lounge with chairs, tables, couches, and snack machines. Serena was curious to look into the machines, but her focus on them was broken by the sight of who she was going to interview, Bill Grey. He did look younger than Alan Kenes, much more adorable too. He still wore his helmet, but the visor was lightly blue-tinted so his eyes were visible. His fur was brown, and his ears were floppy poking through the spaces on his helmet. He was sitting in a chair with another chair in front of him for Serena. Bill got out of the chair and went over to shake Serena's hand.

"Hello, I'm Serena Tsukino," said Serena with a professional tone. "It is so awesome that you guys let us come here to get an interview. We have visited a lot of the Lylat System already, and we like it."

"It is nice to meet you," said Bill. "My name is Bill Grey. I am an ace pilot for the Corneria Defense Force. I gotta say that humans are a rare sight in the Lylat System. As far as the ones that I have seen, you look really good." The way he spoke was so friendly and amiable. His eyes showed that he was genuinely happy.

"Why thank you," said Serena, flattered. The two sat in the chairs and began the interview. After they went through some boring questions about the Cornerian Army and giving an explanation on the Sailor Soldiers, Serena started to ask questions about Bill's personal thoughts. "You seem so young to be such a pristine pilot. Then again the Sailor Soldiers are mostly twenty-one while you're twenty-seven. What is it like for you to be a soldier in an army that is in charge of making sure this whole solar system stays peaceful?"

Bill mulled over his answer in his mind. "It isn't easy. Since I started in the Corneria Defense Force, I have experienced two catastrophes. The first being the Lylat Wars and the second was the Apariod Invasion. I was only eighteen when the Lylat Wars came to Katina, and I had to fight right away. We lost a lot of good men." He was silent. "I'm happy doing what I do. I owe my thanks to someone in particular. He was the one who urged me to join the Cornerian Flight Academy." He broke off again, clearly because he was reactivating some memories.

"Do you want to tell us who?" asked Serena. "Your dad?"

"It was my best friend, Fox McCloud."

"Could we meet him?" As soon as Serena processed his silence, she knew she stepped into a sensitive area. "I'm so sorry for you loss."

"He isn't dead," said Bill. "I just don't know where he is. His brand of work just doesn't give him the chance to meet old friends too often."

"What does he do?"

Bill seemed very surprised by the question. "Are you saying that you don't know who Fox McCloud is?"

"Should I?" asked Serena.

"He is a hero in the Lylat System," explained Bill. "Thanks to him and his team, Star Fox, the Cornerian Army won the Lylat Wars. The downside is that Star Fox is a group of mercenaries. Star Fox was founded by his father, the late James McCloud. Fox and I were great friends and entered the Corneria Flight Academy together. When his dad died on a mission, Fox left and went to become the new leader of Star Fox. Star Fox is a small elite group. The current members may be young, but they are the best. I am surprised that you didn't know about him."

"We probably would have if we went to Corneria first," said Serena. "Where I come from, mercenaries are not accepted with open arms."

"They aren't here," said Bill, "but Star Fox is the exception because they only do jobs for the good of the people. From what you said, they're not too different from the Sailor Soldiers. The only difference is that Star Fox gets paid, and the Sailor Soldiers do the work for the good of society."

"That is true," said Serena. "Well, I have asked all my questions. Before we sign off here, would you like to say something to Fox? Our documentary will be broadcasted on Corneria and other planets, so he might be watching."

"Thank you, Mrs. Tsukino," Bill turned to the camera. "Fox, keep on fighting."

"That is deep," said Serena offhandedly. She then turned to the camera and went to her MTV host mode. "That is it for Katina. Our next destination is the Lylat System's vacation world, Zoness. Amazing!"


	3. Chapter 3

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

The Paradise World of Zoness and

Despicable Star Wolf

The girls soon left Katina and were now on their way to Zoness. Zoness was known as a holiday world. It was nearly completely covered in water, but unlike Aquas, it had chains of islands with flourishing resources. With the help of the perfect ocean views and fantastic beaches and dazzling wildlife, Zoness soon became a world of relaxation and leisure. Once they landed, they all, even Amy, went into "girls-on-Spring-Break" mode in front of cameras. The hotel resorts of Zoness combined the excellent hospitality of resorts on Earth and the amazing structural design similar to buildings on Coruscant. The resorts were crazy expensive, so they could only go to a high cliental. It wasn't hard for the girls to get in since they had piles of money. The girls decided to split up and explore the different features of the resorts with a cameraman to document it all. Before they went off, Jeff Stevens, an Elite and one of the girls' chief bodyguards, warned them to stay out of trouble. Mina suggested that Jeff take a spa day to relax. Serena and Mina went to explore the foods that were famous on Zoness. Rei went to go see the shopping options. Lita and Amy visited the beaches. Zoey went to observe the flora and fauna.

"Alright, everyone at home," said Mina into a camera as she and Serena stood in front of a sheik restaurant. "We are outside a restaurant on Zoness. Zoness is said to have an incredible dish called Kani. It is some kind of fish. Nice!"

"Folks at home, don't worry," chimed in Serena. "The food in the Lylat System is all fine for humans, so heads up on that. Don't worry about what you're eating and enjoy it, and enjoy us eating. Freakin' awesome!"

The girls went into the restaurant. It wasn't different from restaurants on Earth. The theme was elegant and suave. Blue carpets and white table clothes accompanied the comfy chairs and booths. It was neither high-end nor cheap. Serena began explaining some of the other dishes on the menu. Two plates of Kani came to their table. Upon first bite, both Serena and Mina gave moans pleasure.

"This is amazing and awesome," Mina commented.

"Oh god, yes," said Serena.

"Okay, folks," Mina said to the camera, "we're going to finish this and come back later. Stay tuned."

Their excessive talking was being listened to by someone at the bar. It was male anthropomorphic panther dressed in a casual business wear: a polo shirt, sand-khaki pants, and white flip-flops. The watch he wore glistened with wealth. His velvet fur was sleek and had an urbane sheen. Casually he got out of his seat and went over to the girls' table.

"Hello," he said.

Serena and Mina, with mouths full of food, turned to him. He was handsome for a panther. His yellow eyes gleamed with lust. A distinguishing scar ran from the right side of his nose and down his cheek.

"I couldn't help notice you two beauties when you arrived," he said suavely. "You two are both so captivating, such beautiful human women."

Serena's full cheeks turned red. She swallowed down her mouth full. "Thanks. What's your name?"

"Call me Panther," he said. He took her hand gently. "You have such smoothed skin."

"Your fur is soft," she said, feeling a bit awkward and flatter at the same time. Upon realizing something, she withdrew her hand right away. "I'm married."

"Oh," Panther said without any sign of bruised feelings. "I apologize." He then looked to Mina right away. "How about you?"

"I'm single," said Mina avidly.

"Terrific," he said "How would you like to meet me again in the lounge of my hotel for drinks?"  
"I'd like that," Mina answered.

"I'll see you tonight." Panther gave her the hotel's name and what time to meet him. He then turned and left the restaurant.

"So you're into half animal people now?" Serena joked.

"It isn't like that," said Mina defensively. "He is such a charmer. Besides, I haven't been on date in a while ever since that b****** Booster Gold cheated on me. Tonight will just be a quick holiday romance. With his looks, I doubt he'll have to look hard for another girl. You looked really happy to have a guy hit on you. Did you forget that about Darien?"

"Not at all," said Serena. "Well, maybe for a second."

Meanwhile, Zoey was walking to the edge of the tropical forest on the island. She had scheduled to have a tour through the forest, but no one was at the service station. Zoey had her notebook and her Pokémon in their balls with her ready for anything. As she waited for someone to appear, someone came from behind her silently, stealthily. Zoey noticed that person and spun around to find that it was a male anthropomorphic wolf. He was tall and muscular with grey and white fur and sunglasses over his eyes. He wore a straw beach hat on his head, an unbuttoned tropical shirt, jean shorts, and flip-flop sandals. His fangs shined as he smiled.

"Hello," said Zoey friendlily. "Are you here for the tour?"

"Yes," said the wolf as he stepped closer, still smiling. "I'm a zoologist and the tour guide. My name is Dr. Rolf Raymond. You can call me Rolf."

"Really?" said Zoey. "That is a coincidence. I work as a Pokémon researcher. I am really excited to see what kinds of Pokémon are native to this world. No one is in the service station."

"Oh well," said Rolf. "Why don't we go into this forest together?"

"That is fine with me," said Zoey.

Zoey and Rolf entered the forest together. The path looked to be monitored and cleared regularly. Bellsprout and Weepinbel were common sights on the trees. Carnivive hang from trees overhead and stared at the two. Gloom and Vileplume happily treaded alongside the path. Zoey noted in her notebook all the Pokémon she saw.

"I took some good notes," said Zoey. "You're very quiet."

"I didn't want to disturb you," said Rolf. "I just needed to watch out for you. Last night, I walked along the beach on the other side of the forest, and I saw that a herd of Milotic nesting there. You should go their tonight when it's dark, and I'll meet you. It is quite a breath taking sight. The spot is near a rocky part of the beach."

"Milotic!" said Zoey with excitement. "That sounds awesome. I'd love to see that. But please don't be offended… I have a boyfriend."

"No trouble at all," said Rolf. "I just wanted to see the Milotic again, strictly professional."

"Cool," said Zoey.

"Would you like me to show you the spot now?" said Rolf.

"That'd be nice, thank you," said Zoey with a bow of respect.

Rolf guided her off the trail into the forest. He insisted that they hold hands since Victreebel on this world were quite dangerous and known to attack people. The Victreebel on Zoness were crafty. Their strategy was to grab their prey with their extraordinarily strong vines and drag them into their mouths where they would then proceed into weakening the victim with acid until the foe was either dead or the Victreebel found that the particular prey was too difficult to eat. People fit into the latter category, but the acids still leave very painful burns. Zoey did find it odd that a zoologist was dressed so poorly for an expedition through the forest. Once they got to the beach, the thong of one of Rolf's sandals snapped. Rolf took the broken sandal into his hand and snickered, but it wasn't a happy snicker.

"I suppose I should have spent a little more," he said.

"Are you all right?" Zoey asked. "I'm really sorry to bring this up, but I am curious to way zoologist is so underprepared for research."

"I'll tell you why," Rolf said as he stared into the horizon. "I'm broke. Things haven't gone to well for me recently. I lived happily on Corneria with my wife and son until my wife abandoned us for another man and took all my money." Rolf's fist struck a tree. It shook like a frightened animal. The bark cracked around the impact zone. "I was fired from my job soon after and forced to come here to Zoness to do work for a fraction of the pay I had before. I can't afford much of anything. These cheap sandals are one of the few things I can buy!" In rage, he threw the broken sandal into the water. "It is hard to stay afloat and provide my son with a good future."

Zoey felt sympathy for him. She put her hand on his shoulder. "How would you like to work for me?"

"Excuse me."

"How would you like to work for me?" Zoey repeated. "I haven't got the time to scout around all these worlds myself. If you work for me, I'll have you go to some of the worlds here in the Lylat System and do some research on the Pokémon of each world for the company where I work. The pay will be quite good, I might add."

Rolf looked at her silently. The sunglasses masked the emotions in his eyes. "Thank you," he said humbly. "Thank you. You don't know what this means to me, what it means to my son."

"I am glad to help," said Zoey. "I believe that family is a very important thing that is always in your heart. Your son should know that his father is going to be fine and give him the chance to follow his own dreams."

The sunglasses still blocked Zoey from truly seeing what emotions were running through his mind. It was odd that he had not taken them off. Barefoot, Rolf guided Zoey through the forest and to her hotel, but before parting to meet later that night, Zoey gave Rolf a hug.

Meanwhile, Rei was strutting along a trendy shopping street with her cameraman following her every move. She bought bags full of clothes and hired men to carry them for her. One store caught her eye in particular. The store specialized in selling clothing made from the skin of some of the larger sea creatures. Rei was not fond of the idea of using animals for clothing, but the clothes in the display window did look gorgeous. The inside of the store smelled heavily with the stench of leather.

"Let's see what kind of deals we can get on authentic clothes made of animal hide found on Zoness," said Rei to the camera.

The clothing was quite outrageous looking for humans to wear. Most of them looked like they would be perfect for reptilian cosplayers. Rei walked over to the counter, but no one was there. There was a bell on the checkout counter with a sign next to it that read, "Ring for Service."

As soon as Rei rang the bell, an anthropomorphic Yemen Chameleon male popped out from behind the counter like a jack-in-the-box. His scales were green and his blue eyes glared at Rei through the narrow slits between his eyelids. His interior outfit was leather. Oddly, His mouth was contorted into a smile.

"Welcome to my shop," he greeted with hospitality in mind. "It is truly a rare sight to see a human. How may I be of service to you?"

Rei felt some weird vibes from this guy. She inconspicuously singled her cameraman to turn it off. "Actually, I changed my mind. Sorry to bother you. Have a nice day." Rei quickly exited the shop. The clerk's eyes narrowed more and his smile vanished. In a huff, he walked into the back room and slammed the door and locked it with a strong security lock. One lamp on a desk lit a small fraction of the room. Two men were unconscious and tied up in the corner.

"Leon Powalski reporting in," the clerk said into the darkness.

"Did you meet your target?" asked a voice in the darkness.

"Yes," answered the clerk, Leon. "She doesn't look like much."

"Don't be so sure," said the voice. Whoever it was started walking forward until he was illuminated by the light. It was Rolf Raymond now dressed in some kind of black combat suit. His sunglasses were gone and revealed that his left eye was covered by some kind of high-tech eye patch. That man was not Rolf Raymond. He was Wolf O'Donnell, the leader of Star Wolf.

"I too have spotted my first and second victim," said another. It was Panther. He wore a blue and white flight suit. He held a rose to nose and sniffed it. "I have heard that humans have blood that is the same color as ours and the same color of this rose."

"Our employer told us that these girls have superpowers," said Wolf. "Each one can transform into beings with powerful magical abilities. Our plan is simple. Kill three tonight, and when the other three have split up to look for them, we kill them. Our implorer has also given us special weapons to deal with them. Make sure to end them before they can transform."

"What do their transformed forms look like," Leon asked.

"I'm not sure," said Wolf. "They're probably horrible. Did you two succeed in finding your victims?"

"That Rei woman seems like a fun one to kill," said Leon slyly.

"I almost got Serena, but I had to settle for only Mina," said Panther.

"Our employer specifically said that Serena should be taken care of quickly," Wolf said angrily. "I'm taking Zoey on personally. It was quite easy to get her all soft and emotional. One fake story and she was putty in my hands. Tonight we shall kill them."

It was dusk when Rei finished her shopping and beach fun for the day. She felt so exhausted and just wanted a have a nice, quit meal. Serena sent her a message telling her to come to the outdoor café at the hotel. When Rei arrived there, the other girls were no where to be found. The café, which over looked the sea, was barren of anyone. All of the tables were set and the lights were still on. Rei sat down at a table of six and waited. Silence was almost attained but did not come because of the percussion of the waves down the cliff. The ruffle of leaves from the trellis above Rei's head startled her. She looked up and saw nothing.

_It was probably a bird_, Rei thought as she closed her eyes and listened to the ocean.

She didn't suspect that two narrow, blue eyes were staring down at her through the square spaces in the trellis. Leon Powalski crawled down the trellis with a bewitched knife on his hip. He was to the right of Rei and slowly crept towards her silently. Every step, every movement was soundless. His mouth curled into a sadistic smile as his gloved hand gripped the handle of the knife. The plan would have worked if the knife didn't make a distinctive sound when unsheathed. Rei spun around to find the clerk from the leather store ready to kill and noticed his ultra-tight purple jumpsuit.

"That getup is gayer than your last one," said Rei fearlessly.

"You're funny," said Leon. "The dead will love your sense of humor." Leon lunged towards her with his knife.

Rei jumped out of her chair and kicked in front of Leon. Leon tripped over the chair but rolled to his feet and swung his knife right for Rei's throat. Quickly, Rei shifted to the side and the knife only struck her right shoulder, giving it a superficial cut. The fact that the blade cut her surprised her. Since she had anticipated the attack, she was able to switch on her invulnerability to sharp objects.

"Are you surprised that I cut?" said Leon. "The blade is hexed with dark magic, making it able to piece your flesh, Sailor Mars."

"How do you know that?" demanded Rei.

"Our employer told us that you girls would be hard to kill, so he gave us some helpful trinkets."

_I can't transform here_, Rei thought. _The people in the hotel could get hurt._

Leon broke her train of thought with by throwing steak knifes from a nearby table. Rei swiftly dodged them to find them to have been a distraction. A kick landed in Rei's chest and knocked against the railing. A four foot-tall wall separated her from a fall to the ground below. Leon glared at her with malice.

"Can't you just burn me to death with fire?" taunted Leon. "Be careful. You could burn this place to the ground." He let out a deranged laugh like a triumphant jackal in the night with its caught prey. Leon lunged at her.

Right before his knife was within striking range, Rei popped up and landed an uppercut right on his chin. The punch sent Leon flying onto a table. It broke when he landed on it.

"I don't have to transform to kick your a**!" said Rei.

Leon jumped to his feet. The last attack had knocked the knife out his hand. "Looks like I have to do this the old fashion way."

Rei struck first with a kick, which Leon blocked with his arms. Then Leon ducked and spun, knocking Rei off her feet with his tail. When she was on the ground, he leapt on top of her and rapped his hands around her neck. Rei felt around for some kind of tool with her hand. An unbroken plate was lying on the floor near her. She grabbed it and smashed it against Leon's head. He hissed has he rolled off of her. Rei stood up and found him still on the ground, panting. Suddenly, he dashed to the cliff's railing and dove off the cliff. Rei ran to the railing and looked down. Leon Powalski's figure disappeared when he met the water. Rei breathed heavily and took out her compowder and called the girls.

Meanwhile, Lita and Serena waited along with Mina for a cab outside the hotel. Mina was wearing a tight scarlet dress with black high-heeled pumps and dark stockings. Her classic red bow went well with the whole outfit. A man named Panther had asked Mina out on a date earlier that day, and Mina was happy to go.

"How would it work out if you two stay together and have kids?" Serena asked bluntly as they waited.

"Serena!" said Mina in embarrassment. "I just met the guy. This date is only going to be a small, vacation romance. At the end of the trip here, I'll breakup with him, but we'll stay friends."

"That seems a bit odd," said Serena.

"I think its fine," said Lita. "If this guy really charmed you, it is worthwhile to see where this goes. Who knows? Maybe Mister Right is a panther." She and Serena giggled.

"How would that kid thing work?" Serena asked again. "When I was down by the beach, I saw a deer woman with a monkey man walking together, holding hands. What would their kids look like?"

"From what I have learned in my studies of the Lylat System," began Mina, "newly born infants will take the species of one of the parents."

"I think that it is inspirational to see these people go for love rather than appearance," said Lita happily. "Look at Zoey and Link. Zoey is human, and Link is Hylian. Now they're getting married."

"I know what you mean," said Mina. "This guy Panther was just so charming. He reminded me of Flash. There was something funny in his eyes though."

"Was it love?" Lita asked.

"No," answered Mina "Well…it isn't important."

"Come on," whined Serena. "Tell us."

"Fine," Mina sighed. "Did you notice anything strange when he looked at us up close?" Serena shook her head. "It was like there was a glint of something in his eyes, like….malice"

"Really?" Serena said scratching her head.

"You didn't notice," said Mina, "because he looked more at me after you said you were married. I'm probably just being silly."

"You might not be," said Lita. "You don't know this man at all, right? Maybe one of us should come with you?"

"It does sound a little weird," Serena agreed.

"I'm a big girl, Lita," said Mina with a laugh. A cab then came to the curb. Mina went to it and opened the door. "This big girl has a date." After climbing into the cab she slammed the door and the cab drove off.

"I hope this goes well," said Lita under her breath.

Mina was not going to over-worry about seeing or not seeing something in a guy's eye unless it was in the heat of romance. _If it was just an introduction, it was probably nothing._ That sentence kept her doubts and friends comments away. The cab came to another ritzy resort. This one had a rose motif, probably a good place for honeymoons. The front doors opened to a lobby covered with roses of every color. Some in vases, pots, chandeliers, scattered on counters and shelves: roses were inescapable. The sweet aroma was strong and lovely. A cat lady smiled at Mina.

"Are you Mina Aino?" the lady asked.

"Yes, that is me," answered Mina.

"You are a lucky girl," said the lady. "A man ordered a private room in the lounge for this late hour for one guest and himself. He told me that the guest was a beautiful, human woman with long, blonde hair."

"That's me," said Mina with a giggle.

"The lounge is right down this hall and to the left." The lady pointed to the direction. "The private room is called the Black Rose Room. You can't miss it."

Mina thanked the lady and followed her directions. Even though it was quite late, no one was in the lounge, not even any workers. The lounge was dimly lit to convey a mysterious and sexy atmosphere. The fake potted trees were decorated with strings of white lights. The surfaces of the tables were given a special glaze that reflected a green tint from the small, conservative white light-giving chandeliers. The door to the Black Rose Room was purple with a black, thorny rose painted on it. It slid open with a soft and seduced whoosh. Circular, black velvet couches sat atop royal purple carpeting. The dark violet walls shimmered with a glossy finish that gave the impression of extended space. Black rose petals littered the ground. What looked like an easel was positioned on the far wall. A wreath of black roses lay propped against the easel. The sight reminded Mina of something she had seen before, but she could put her finger on it. _Maybe black rose don't mean what they mean the same thing here._ Panther must have been expecting something spectacular to have put so much effort into a date with a near stranger. _C***. This guy is going to be a stalker, right?_

Panther came through the door. He adorned a black tuxedo. His dark purple fur practically fused in with the black of the tux. Mina spun around to meet his eyes, his debonair eyes.

"I see you have seen my little gift," he said.

"The room? Oh yeah, it's great." Mina began to grow a little nervous.

Panther came closer to her. "The flower wreath is for you." He took Mina's hand softly and kissed it. "Su belleza causa mi corazón a cantar."

"I didn't know you spoke Spanish."

Panther gave a low snicker and strolled over to a table. A bottle of red wine and two glasses sat on the table. "There is a lot that you don't know. It is fine. When I saw you and your friend earlier today, I knew you were someone I could call my love." He popped the cork off and poured the blood-red aperitif into the two classes. He handed one to Mina and beckoned her to a seat. His urbane attitude was mystifying. He orchestrated an amazing web to entrap Mina's heart. Now she was no longer nervous. She was feeling romantic feelings.

"Do you like music?" Mina blurted out awkwardly.

Panther ignored her stumble and proceeded to sip the wine. "I can't tell you how long it has been since I have had a date. My work keeps me busy, so I hardly find the time to go looking. I apologize if this display was too much." He got up and placed his glass on the table. "Excuse me for a moment." He proceeded out the room.

Mina was speechless, but her mind was racing_. I should check my makeup. I didn't know this date would be like this. I have to look better._ She reached into her purse and pulled out a compact. The mirror reflected her face back at her as well as who was behind her. They say that cats are quiet and sly. Panther fit the characteristics perfectly. He was virtuoso of seduction. He did such a good job mastering those traits that he was able to get within a second of strangle Mina successfully with his tie. Upon seeing this, Mina flashed into action and put her right hand between her throat and the tie. The wine glass she held fell onto the floor. The wine spilled and tarnished the floor. Panther's grip tightened. The two were now standing up and struggling to achieve a goal. Luckily, Mina was able to stomp on his foot to break his concentration and wiggle away.

"I knew you were crazy!" shouted Mina in between heavy breathing.

"Are you surprised? A mighty Sailor Soldier was nearly killed by a simple but incredibly handsome man, I, Panther Caruso." He laughed loudly. "You're couldn't pick up on any of the clues. Black roses. _Black_ roses. All gifts for your funeral."

"How did you know that I am a Sailor - ?" Mina asked.

"I have failed to swiftly kill you…today," Panther interrupted. "If I wish to get my payment, you and your friends must be died. Good-bye, Sailor Venus." Panther threw a smoke ball at his feet and vanished in the smoke. Mina was completely disoriented by so many things.

"Venus Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

Mina transformed into Sailor Venus. She ran through the door into the empty main lounge. When she found a door outside, she flew into the air, hidden under the cover of darkness. She had to warn the girls.

Meanwhile, Zoey was on her way out of the hotel when she saw Amy sitting in the quiet lobby with a book.

"Hi there, Amy," said Zoey with a friendly wave.

"Oh hello," Amy answered. "Where are you off to at this hour?"

"I'm on my way to see a new friend out on the beach."

"Someone new? Who is he or she?"

"Well," began Zoey as she went to sit on a couch to chitchat with Amy, "he is a struggling zoologist and a single father. I offered him a job in the research department."

"That was really generous," said Amy. "Did you just meet him today?"

"Yes. When he told me about when his wife left him, and loosing his job, I couldn't just ignore that. I had to do something, and since we have so much power and money, it would have been so despicable of me to have just left him on his way."

"I believe that you heart is in the right place," said Amy. "I hope you have fun."

"Thanks, Amy." Zoey proceeded through the front doors.

The forest was very pretty during the day. It truly showed the shine of nature in its pure form. At night, on the other hand, the forest was so dark and shadowy. Nocturnal animals and Pokémon there did not look that friendly. It made perfect sense that the forest was off limits to the public at night, but Zoey had been through worse places. At the moment, she was still on the path when she heard a scream. The scream came from deeper in the forest. It sounded like Rolf. Another scream rang out in the night. Zoey ran into the forest and followed the noise. As she ran, the sound of Victreebel calls could be heard in the same direction of the screams. _Rolf must have been attacked by Victreebel. He should have known to be more prepared. Darn his c***** funding._ The Victreebel calls became clearer as Zoey came closer to the epicenter. After passing through a blockade of palm leaves, Zoey came to the sight of the sounds. It was a small cleared area in the center of the forest with eight torches lined against the circumference. The Victreebel calls stopped as well. A man's laugh broke the newly acquired silence.

"Who is there?" called Zoey.

"You really are overly sympathetic," said the voice.

"Rolf? Is that you?"

"Not exactly." Wolf appeared in the light of a torch. This was the first time Zoey saw the devise over his left eye. There was some kind of audio devise in his hand making the Victreebel calls. "Rolf Raymond is nothing but a disguise. You met and are looking at the mighty Wolf O'Donnell."

"You lied to me?" said Zoey in disbelief.

"Of course I did," continued Wolf. "The man who hired my team and I told us all about you Sailor Soldiers. He told us about your magical powers and your personality weaknesses. Yours was too easy. Zoey Yuki, AKA Sailor Saturn, the Soldier of Death and Destruction, has a weak spot for sad stories about families. It is actually pretty ironic. Did you ever expect your pure heart to be the death of you?"

Now Zoey was pissed. "You monster!" she shouted. "How could you lie about something like that? You made me feel sorry for you. You made me give you a job and hope that you didn't want. You lied to me." Zoey pulled her Crystal Change Rod out off her pocket.

"Uh-uh," said Wolf with a wag of his finger. "Don't even think about transforming. I have set up charges in the forest to go off at the press of a button. If you pull anything, I'll press it and this forest will go up in smoke. Since you love nature so much, it'd stain your conscious to have started a forest fire. Do you know where the button is on my clothes? You can get out of this though. You and I will fight. If you win, I leave. If you loose, you die. I heard you are quite a ferocious combatant. Well, I am too." Sharp claws extended from the tips of Wolf's gloves. He got into a fighting stance. "I didn't lie about everything. I do have a son. Ladies first."

Zoey got into a position. Her opponent was a six feet tall wolf man in his mid to late thirties. From what she has researched, the anthropomorphic beings in this dimension have greater natural strength than humans. Even so, Zoey had still faced worse odds. She came at Wolf with axe kick. In one swift back motion, Wolf avoided the kick and came at Zoey with his claws. She blocked with her arms. She expected the sleeves of her track suit to be torn away, but she did not expect the claws to actually pierce her skin. The cuts weren't deep luckily. She sensed the dark magic enchantment on the gloves. Wolf then broke her block with a kick and extended his leg for a full on kick to her chest. It was definitely stronger than an average human kick. Zoey was pushed away but stayed on her feet.

"Where did you get an enchantment like that?" Zoey asked. "The Lylat System is known to be deprived of magical entities."

"Like I'd ever tell you," Wolf hollered.

He then came at her with his claws in a fashion to come swinging forward to maul her. Zoey swiftly weaved around his claws. When an opening came, she slugged Wolf right in the jaw and then stuck him with a reverse roundhouse kick in the side of the head.

"That was for lying to me, you b****," said Zoey confidently.

The kick spun Wolf around. When he got still, he grinned widely.

"He wasn't wrong about you," said Wolf.

"Who hired you?" demanded Zoey.

"I'll give you a hint," said Wolf. "It is someone you have met before." Suddenly, Wolf received a message from Panther via a communication feature in his eyepiece. His smile faded. The message said that the other girls were now aware of them. He then turned to Zoey. "This battle is a draw."

"What?"

"You heard me. We will have a rematch."

Wolf ran into the forest. Zoey chased after him but stopped when she heard the sound of a star fighter's engine start. A red and white fighter rose above the canopy and flew into the distance. Wolf had escaped. Just then, Zoey's compowder rang. It was Rei

"Zoey, here," she answered. "You will never believe what happened to me just now?"

"I bet I can top whatever it is," said Rei hastily. "A crazy lizard man tried to murder me."

Sailor Venus came into the call. "Girls, there are guys coming after us. I just stop one of them from trying to kill me."

"You're a bit late," said Zoey. "I just had a fight with some crazy wolf man."

"All three of us were attacked," said Rei. "What about Serena, Amy, and Lita? Are they all right?"

"I just called them," said Sailor Venus. "They are fine. They decided it'd be a good idea if we get off of Zoness right away. These guys were hired by someone who knows us, and they know more about this place than we do. Amy said we should high-tale it to Corneria right away. Corneria has more law enforcement than here on Zoness. Pack your bags quickly. Lita has the ship ready to launch."

"Understood, Zoey out."

"Take care," said Rei.


	4. Chapter 4

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

The Legendary Heroes of the Lylat System

Star Fox, Stage On!

After packing quickly and checking out, the girls transformed into their Sailor Soldier forms and flew to their ship to avoid any confrontations on the ground. The Moon Carriage lifted off and as soon as it was through Zoness's atmosphere, the Moon Carriage warped through hyperspace to Corneria. Unfortunately, they had to end their warp through hyperspace once they reached the outskirts of Cornerian Air Space because of the planet's laws. It would not be long until the Sailor Soldiers were safe on Corneria.

Right after their failed assassination attempts, the three members of Star Wolf retreated to their mothership, the Great Wolf, which was parked on an uninhabited island. Andrew Oikanny, the forth member, was waiting for them. Andrew was an anthropomorphic monkey and a nephew to Andross. His body was so lanky, even his robotic arms and legs were scrawny.

"That was complete folly," shouted Wolf angrily to his teammates as they met in the gathering room of the ship. "How could you let them beat you? You have more physical strength than they do and they're idiots."

"Don't be so mad," said Leon suavely. "You have only gotten this worked up when we loose to Star Fox."  
"You still haven't told us who our employer is," added Andrew, "and you haven't told us why we're even doing this mission and how much money we get for completing it. All you said was that the prize would be grand. I would like to know what that means."

Wolf shook with fury. "You want to know what you get out of this?" Wolf bellowed. His fists were tightly curled, and his sharp, white teeth were bared. "I'll _show_ you what we're getting out of this." Wolf marched out of the room in a huff.

"I think he's finally _lost it_," said Leon in a weird singing tune.

"He isn't the only one," Panther said under his breath. "Come to think of it, where has is son been?"

"I think Wolf took the little pup to his wife's house," said Leon. "I was vexed to why it was so quiet, so I asked where the little cub was. He got all _weird_ when he told me. Wolf looked sad, so sad, so very sad. It made me sad."

Just then, Wolf came back into the room with something in his arms wrapped in a blanket and sat down. Leon and Panther leaned closer to see what he was carrying. It surprised both of them to see a wolf pup peak out of the buddle. He was not anthropomorphic. He was just an ordinary wolf pup. When the cub crawled from the blanket, he laid his head against Wolf's chest and nuzzled. Wolf looked with heartbroken eyes at the cub, his son. Though it may seem out of character for a mercenary of his caliber, Wolf deeply loved his son. "This is why we're doing this mission," Wolf said quietly with his eyes still on the happy cub.

Andrew, Panther, and Panther's mouths dropped down in disbelief.

"Is that Randal?" Andrew asked slowly, his mouth entangled with shock.

"Yes," answered Wolf. "This is my son."

"The last time I saw him," Panther continued, "he was just an ordinary eight year-old kid, not a…a…puppy. What happened to him?"

Randall soon fell asleep against his father's chest. He looked content to just feel the warmth of his body.

"Two days ago," started Wolf in a quiet tone so that he would not wake Randal, "I took my son to the Planet of Hylia. He had been asking me to take him to see the Arbiter's Grounds in Hyrule. I let my eyes off of him for a second, and he went off. I didn't think I would need to put a tracker on him in a place like the Arbiter's Grounds. That was a d*** mistake. I looked for him for hours, and it was getting dark. The sun was down when I found him. I can never stay mad at him. Then, out of nowhere, some weird looking black light came up behind us. The mass of shadows had a voice. I remember everything it said. 'Werewolves. That is something you do don't see everyday. Look at that. A father and son. How nice? Let's make it more fun.' In a flash of black light, my son was turned into what you see here, a wolf pup."

Again the stereotype for mercenaries was trampled, for Wolf's team showed sympathy towards him.

"Sometime after that," continued Wolf, "I sat with Randal in my arms cursing _that _shadow. A man stood before me. He was like a god. Just looking him in the eyes was crumbling. He told me that he could restore Randal to his original form…for a price. He told me that the only way he would save my son was if I were to pledge my life to him, so I did."

"How could you not tell us that?" asked Panther.

"I was so ashamed," said Wolf. "The great Wolf O'Donnell forced to grovel at someone's feet. You three would have just left if you knew that there was no pay."

"How could you think we would be so callous?" said Leon. "We would never abandon you and your son for money. Do you think we are all like Pigma? May he burn in hell."

"I may not be the best pilot or the best at combat," said Andrew, "but I know that it is wrong to leave a troubled teammate. We'll kill those girls and save your son."

"This time we'll get them for sure," said Leon. "We'll fight them in our element, the vast battlefield of space. Andrew, did you successfully get their ship's schematics?"

"Of course," said Andrew, "but it wasn't easy. I would have set some detonators in their too, but there were a lot of guards. They were a strange type of alien with squid-shaped heads and hoofed feet. Don't worry. I did get what we needed."

"Let this time be smooth," said Wolf. "My brothers, let us claim victory."

The Moon Carriage left hyperspace near the Cornerian Defence Station in Sector Y. The main station was a bit far from where they stopped, but the trek should not take long. The girls were all sitting in the lounge area of the bridge.

"What do we do about this problem?" asked Lita. "These psychos are after us."

"Let's take a look at who this Star Wolf is," said Amy. "Mr. Stevens, bring up everything on Star Wolf on the lounge screen."

"Yes, Ms. Mizuno," answered Jeff Stevens as he entered the command into the computer.

The big TV screen in the lounge lit up. A wanted poster for the members of Star Wolf flashed on with some written details on the bottom of the page.

"It says here that they are a team of mercenaries and rivals to Star Fox," Zoey read aloud. "Unlike Star Fox, Star Wolf often takes missions that involve illegal activity. Their exploits have landed hefty prices on their heads."

"From what it says," said Mina, "It isn't surprising that they were hired for an assassination, but who would hire them? We just arrived in the Lylat System a few days ago."

"Whoever it is," started Rei, "it is someone with magical powers we have met before. Those creeps had a bewitched weapon of some kind. The only magic users who hate us don't have the resources for a lot of space travel."

"Maybe Star Wolf came to one of their planets?" said Serena. "Who could hate us that much to have sent mercenaries to kill us?"

Everyone knew the level of stupidity of the question. Being superheroes has the drawback of receiving zealous vendettas. They had already made quite a few enemies in this dimension.

"Do you think it was Meta Knight?" suggested Lita. "Rogue did do a number on him."

"Meta Knight is surprisingly one of the smarter guys we've fought," said Rei. "Gruntilda and Bowser were complete idiots. You don't think it was Ganondorf, do you?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Zoey.

Suddenly, the ship jerked with a shock.

"What the hell was that?" shrieked Serena.

"We were just hit by lasers," said Mr. Stevens. "Bringing up visual on main screen."

The feed from a rear camera spotted four starfighters coming in quickly. The fighters were Wolfens, the type of starfighters used by Star Wolf.

"Is that who I think it is?" said Mina miserably.

"Message coming in," said another crew member. "Shall I patch it through?"

"Give it to us," ordered Amy.

Wolf O'Donnell appeared on the screen.

"It's you again," exclaimed Zoey.

"You girls won't get away from us this time," said Wolf. "This time you're on our field and with our rules. Too bad you can't fight in space, Sailor Soldiers. It is time to die." The communication link ended.

Another shock rattled the ship. This shock was much larger and longer.

"Explosions have just erupted in both engines," Mr. Stevens called.

"They must have planted bombs on the ship while we were on Zoness," said Rei. "We don't have any fighters in the bay to go after them."

"We should have thought of that," said Mina anrgily, "but no. People get fussy when you pack starfighters!"

"How are the shields?" Amy asked.

"Shields are fine," answered the crew member.

"This f****** sucks!" shouted Serena. She sprung from the couch and jumped into the captain's chair and switched on the intercom. "Everyone, this is Serena Tsukino. Get to battle stations double time. Any non-battle personnel report to the ship's dimensional door. Our engines are gone, but the shields are awesome. Don't go through the gate unless I give the order." Serena switched off the intercom. "Those shields better be as good as we were told. Mrs. Bagcrumble, send a distress call to the nearby station. The shields should protect us till they get here."

"Yes, Mrs. Tsukino," answered Mrs. Julie Bagcrumble, the middle-aged, Scottish communications officer.

The squadron of four split up and swirled around the Moon Carriage like flies over a rotting fruit and delivered rapid laser shots to the shields.

"This odd ship has incredible shields," Andrew said to Wolf over the com link. "If I had more time, I would have set charges in the shield generator."

"It doesn't matter," said Wolf. "We have something special for those shields."

"I need to make a call of my own," said Mina.

"Who are you going to call?" asked Amy as Mina got up.

Mina brought the microphone close to her and tapped in a communication request with the Wolfen ships. "Hey! Hey!" Mina called into the mike. "I know you douche bags are there."

Andrew answered the call. "What do you want?"

"Who the hell are you?" demanded Mina.

"I am Andrew Oikanny, nephew of the great Andross," Andrew declared.

"Who the f*** is Andross?" asked Serena. "We don't care who you freakin' uncle is."

"Is your short term memory really that bad?" said Rei in embarrassment.

"Don't mock me in front of the henchmen," said Serena defensively. "I'm in the swivel chair. They look up to me. You're just jealous of the swivel chair." Serena swiveled in the chair mockingly.

"You dumpling head!" snapped Rei.

"Quiet, b******!" shouted Amy in a much unexpected passion. "We're under attack."

"Good job, Amy," said Zoey as she and Lita clapped.

"Is that link still on?" Lita asked.

All the girls looked at the screen with rosy cheeks.

"D*** it!" Mina quickly cut the transmission.

"I can't believe we couldn't kill those girls earlier," said Wolf.

"Put all engine power to shields and reduce weapons' power by half and give it to shields," ordered Serena. "No ragtag gang of thugs is going to best the Moon Kingdom"

"Their shields have become stronger," Panther said to his teammates.

"It's time to get the Great Wolf into this fight," said Wolf. "They probably sent out a distress call all ready."

The cloaking devise that shadowed the Great Wolf in the umbra of space faded to give the full image of the Star Wolf mothership behind the Moon Carriage. Thought not quite as big as the Miranda Class Refit Moon Carriage, it was still a good size. The dual laser cannons fired beams of red hot energy to the rear of the girl's ship. The shock notified the people of the Moon Carriage to the enemy behind. The Moon Carriage answered with some lasers of its own. The Great Wolf's shielding was not nearly as strong as the Moon Carriage's shield, but it did with stand the blast.

"They've got some fire power," said Panther. "You didn't tell us that Andrew."

"I must have miscalculated," said Andrew. "Reactivating cloak."

"This has gone on for far too long," said Wolf angrily. "Every shield brakes eventually. Death Cross Bombardment Maneuver!"

The four Wolfens flew out into space, one at each cardinal direction of the Moon Carriage. Each of them swung a u-turn and came back around. With the Moon Carriage locked on, the four Wolfens each fired a Smart Bomb. The powerful explosions on four sides rocked every bit of the ship. The shields were near breaking point.  
"Shields are almost gone," Mr. Stevens called.

"Everyone that isn't a Sailor Soldier on bridge," said Serena, "get to the dimensional door and prepare for evacuation."

"But, Mrs. Tsukino…"

"None of you should suffer because of vendettas placed on us," said Serena. "I have given you an order. We'll join you soon."

The crew members stood up and bowed respectfully before proceeding to the dimension door chamber.

"Girls, get into vacant positions," Serena said to the girls.

"You got it," said Mina.

"I got a lock on one of the enemy ships," said Amy, who was at the weapon controls with Zoey. "Shall I launch the missiles?"

"We have to defend ourselves," said Rei.

Serena thought for a second. She did not want to destroy them, but there was no choice at the moment. "Pop a cap in that b****'s a**!"

Missiles launched from the cannon stations on the rear-mounted roll bar. Wolf was the target. The bloodhound-like missiles shot after the Wolfen in a hunt to destroy the pesky nuisance. Wolf saw that he had been locked-on to and maneuvered around to try to escape them, but their seeking ability was too good. If they caught him, he would mostly like explode and die. _I can't get shot down._ The missiles came closer and closer. _I can't loose. I can't loose my son!_

Wolf did a u-turn flip and flew directly at the Moon Carriage. With his fury, Wolf fired his ship's lasers at full power right at the shielded haul. That burst was enough to finally overpower the shields.

"Shields are offline!" called Lita.

"Get them back _online_," ordered Serena.

The girls looked at the main screen as saw that Wolf was still coming at them with the missiles hot on his heels.

"This is for you, Randal," whispered Wolf.

His ship nearly crashed right into the saucer-shaped body of the ship, but he hooked up and the last second. Unfortunately for the girls, the missiles were not as good at maneuvering.

"Oh s***!" screamed Serena before the impact.

"The missiles did not hit the area where the bridge was, but the area of impact was close. A hunk of the haul was blown to bits. The shockwave knock the girls out of their chairs.

"Controls aren't responding!" shouted Mina. The control panel in front of her then burst into flames. "Controls are on _fire_!"

"Where the hell are the fire extinguishers!" roared Lita. "This is why I hate planes."

"What is the plan now?" Zoey asked Serena.

"Haul a**!" Serena screamed hysterically.

Before the girls could run to the doors, they saw something flash on the main screen. It was another starfighter. It was not a Wolfen. Whoever was piloting it began firing on Wolf.

"D***," exclaimed Wolf. "Star Fox is here."

Three other Arwings, the type of fighters Star Fox uses, came into the picture as well. The first one was piloted by Fox McCloud. This twenty-seven year-old, anthropomorphic fox's name is chimed throughout the Lylat System with praise. His combat skills on both ground and air are commendable. And as far as his species goes, he is very handsome.

His best friend and teammate, Falco Lombardi, an anthropomorphic falcon, was also known for his exquisite piloting skills. Although he is much cockier than Fox, Falco's skills are just as fantastic as his.

Slippy Toad, an anthropomorphic toad and good friend of Fox's, is the team's mechanic. He might not be much in battle, but he is the one who built the majority of Star Fox's weapons and gadgets.

The fourth and certainly not least to make an appearance on the screen was Krystal, an anthropomorphic fox with blue fur. As far as her species goes, she is very attractive. Unlike the rest of her team, Krystal has some magical abilities. Since magic is hard to come by in the Lylat System, she is quite a commodity.

In the battle, Fox went after Wolf. Falco went after Leon. Slippy went after Andrew. And Krystal went after Panther. The ships flew around like fireflies in the night's sky. The elegant ballet was both beautiful and full of passion as the two rival teams fought for supremacy with an audience of virtuous guardians witnessing their clash.

"Looks like you're chasing _me_ now," Panther said to Krystal. "I knew it would only be a matter of time before you would return my admiration."

"You can't really tell over this communication link," Krystal said, "but I just gagged."

Her laser fire on his ship was a cruel slap to Panther's ego.

"What are you doing?" Slippy asked Andrew. "Didn't you quit Star Wolf?"

"I got bored, so I came back," answered Andrew. "Now piss off, you androgynous weird person."

Both pilots were somewhat skilled, so the matchup was good.

"I want to eat you up," Leon said to Falco. "You must taste like chicken. I'll pluck out all you feathers and put them into the pillows for my bed."

"Geez, you f****** nuts," said Falco.

Being the ace pilot that he is, Falco shot several lasers into Leon's ship.

"Pesky bird!" screeched Leon.

Fox and Wolf's fight was the most intense. The two swerved around the disabled Moon Carriage while trying to loose the other. Wolf tried to shoot up more of the ship's haul but was intercepted by Fox's lasers.

"D*** you, Fox!" yelled Wolf. "Why did you have to come?"

"You sound much angrier than usual," said Fox casually. "Assassinations aren't your style."

"Shut up!" Wolf continued to scream. "You have no idea what this mission means to me. I don't care who dies."

"That is why there is a huge cash reward for your skin," retorted Fox.

Wolf seemed to figure that the crew members were most likely going to escape in the life boat ships in the two hangers to the rear of the ship. Wolf charged his laser and blasted down the door of one of the bays.

"He's tearing this ship apart," said Serena, who was back in the swivel chair. "Every crew member, report back to stations. This fight doesn't look to be over. Maintenance, get to the shield generator quickly."

"Who are these guys?" Lita said as she watched Star Fox fight on screen.

"I'm glad they arrived when they did," said Rei.

Fox managed to lock on to Wolf's ship and fired a charged laser blast at him. The attack hit.

"Star Wolf, retreat!" Wolf ordered with bitter hatred.

The four Wolfens swayed in the direction of the cloaked Great Wolf and disappeared.

"Looks like they got away again," said Slippy.

"Yes!" cheered Serena. "They won!"

"Freakin' Awesome!" cheered the girls.

A communication link was patched to the Moon Carriage from Fox.

"Thank you," said Serena with a bow. "You got here just in time."

"It is nothing," said Fox. "Is everything all right on your end?"

"My ship is disabled, and bits have been blown off," said Serena jokingly. "Aside from that, our crew is fine and very grateful. If I may ask, who are you?"

Falco came into the conversation and on the screen. "Do they seriously not know? How can anyone in the Lylat System not know about us?"

"Calm down, Falco," said Kystal. "That ship isn't from around here. They're probably from another star system."

"It must have amazing shield generators to have stood up to Star Wolf for so long," added Slippy.

"Why does everyone expect me to know stuff?" whined Serena in an attempt to break their conversation.

"We're Star Fox," answered Fox, "and we'd better jet."

The link ended and the four ships flew off the monitor screens.

"Holy c***," said Mina. "We were just saved by Star Fox."


	5. Chapter 5

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

Corneria

The Capital of Lylat

It was sheer luck for the Sailor Soldiers to have been in the path of Star Fox. Star Fox was returning to Corneria for some well deceived rest and relaxation after their last mission. It is arguable to say that they function like the Justice League but with profit in mind. Even though they do desire to be rewarded for their deeds, each member has good intensions and conviction for fighting against evil.

The Great Fox began its push through Corneria's atmosphere. The four heroes awaited in the common room of the ship.

"Who were those girls?" Slippy asked. "They must be important to have been targeted by Star Wolf."

"When we got back to the ship," began Krystal, "I ran a search for sightings of that particular ship. It belongs to Galactic Corporation, a small yet resourceful corporation with business in other systems. The location of the headquarters is unknown."

"Galactic Corporation?" said Fox. His eyes showed his deep thought. "I remember…my dad told me about them. They were Star Fox's first clients. That ship's design does seem familiar." He was quiet. The warmth of a pleasant memory swelled over him. "When I was young I remember sitting on my dad's lap, he told me about a starship with a saucer body he had protected."

"We now know who owns the ship," said Falco, "but do we know who those girls are?"

"Have you forgotten about Katt?" said Krystal playfully.

"What do you mean?" retorted Falco, who was blushing slightly.

"You know what I mean," continued Krystal. "Those girls were hot, and I admit it. You do tend to want to show off in front of pretty girls. I saw those fancy maneuvers you made on the way back to the ship."

"That doesn't mean anything," Falco said defensively. "Besides, Katt and I are just friends."

"You and Katt are just friends," said Krystal with sass, "than Fox and I are _just friends_."

Fox nodded with a smile.

"She got you there, Falco," Slippy chuckled.

"Whatever!" said Falco, putting an end that part of the discussion. "Get back to talking about those girls."

"All right," said Krystal. "Those girls happen to work for the company. They are here shooting a documentary on the Lylat System. Aside from that, they seem normal. I found something else that was pretty weird."

"What is it?" asked Fox.

"There is another team of girls," continued Krystal. "Each girl on his team has superpowers."  
"Superpowers?" Slippy repeated.

"Apparently, really good superpowers," added Krystal. "They have traveled around a lot of other system and have created quite the name for themselves. It turns out that they don't fight crime for money. They just fight evil."

"Looks like we have competition," said Falco bitterly.

"I wouldn't say that," said Krystal. "There is no evidence that they have any skills in flight combat, so we shouldn't be bothered by them. Are you satisfied?"

"Good work, Krystal," said Fox. "How did you find out that much information so quickly?

"All I did was looked them up on the internet, and it all came up easily."

The Great Fox glided through the clouds. As they pushed through the obscuring clouds, the main city of Corneria was visible. Its splendor was not too far ahead from those of metropolitan cities on Earth and not nearly at the gargantuan level of Coruscent. Like Earth, the green of nature still covered a lot of the land and the cerulean waters remained natural. The buildings were a bit larger than the norm on earth, yet the infrastructure was not too highly evolved. Cars still went on roads on the ground with the exception of some flying cars on designated sky roads. Large video screens on buildings showed what was going on in news, pop culture, etc. Everything looked peaceful. Corneria may have a planet wide crisis every now and then, but between those moments of possible Armageddon, children played in the parks; adults visited coffee shops, stores, and other trendy or not trendy places. Parents of different species happily watched their children flock among children who were anthropomorphic versions of their natural predators on Earth. Even some Elites and Grunts from other systems migrated to Corneria and were gladly assimilated into the pacific world. Corneria is well-deserving of the name "Jewel of the Lylat System."

Star Fox had a special parking spot in the military headquarters in the Corneria's capitol city, Corneria City. An assembly of soldiers awaited their departure from the ship with reverence. Fox and his friends were not used to being greeted by such amorous people. It may have been that their grand success against the Aparoids pumped up everyone. Star Fox also didn't know about the parade in their honor being held and their mandatory attendance to the event. First, they had to meet with the general of the Cornerian Army, Peppy Hare. Peppy Hare used to be a member of the original Star Fox team with James McCloud and a member of Fox's team. Now he commands the entire Cornerian Army. The visit was one of pleasure rather than business. It had been a few months since they defeated the Aparoids and Peppy beaome the new general.

After walking through the path edged with soldiers, the team would be reunited with Peppy in a conference room in a high floor of the main building. The suave sliding doors to the room opened to show Peppy at the head of a long rectangular table. He was quite old, somewhere in his sixties. His eyes showed that his hop was not what it used to in his youth. Peppy greeted them zealously, and they responded with pleasantries deserving of the father figure he represented when on the Star Fox team. The sudden attention catcher of an old friend seized their sight away from the other three people at the table: Amara, Michelle, and Trista.

"How have you been, _General_ Peppy," said Fox teasingly to his old friend.

"I have been fine," answered Peppy, "but you seem to have not let up on fighting. Star Wolf was so close to Cornerian air space. My sources tell me that you sent them packing and saved their target. As I hope you know, that ship belongs to Galactic Corporation. They're an old client of your father. I am glad to see that the next Star Fox team values the corporation responsible for its birth."

"You're kidding," said Slippy with disbelief. "We just figured Star Wolf was just stooping down to pirating. That company really helped Star Fox?"

"It is true," continued Peppy. "I remember perfectly. With their funding Star Fox went into service. I haven't thought about them in such a long time. It was only a few days ago that that name appeared on my list of appointments." Then Peppy turned to the three girls, this gesture made the Star Fox team aware of their presence. "I am terribly sorry to have kept you waiting. We shall commence this meeting soon."

"It is fine," said Michelle with a simple smile. "We understand the feeling of seeing old friends."

The sight of these three beauties came as a surprise to them. Each one was around twenty-two. Young and lovely, their enchanting aura was something Fox, Falco, and Slippy had not experience. Krystal, being a dabbler in the arcane arts, sensed a difference in their auras. It was displayed at such a low level that it was not really something to drag attention to, but Krystal still noticed the magic.

"Star Fox, this is Trista Meioh, Amara Tenoh, and Michelle Kaioh," Peppy said. "These three are representatives of Galactic Corporation, which has been renamed to Sailor Scout Industries. They are also close friends with those girls you saved this morning."

"We have heard a lot about you," said Amara. "The legendary team of mercenaries, Star Fox, you're legacy is one that is known far and wide."

"Thanks," said Fox. "You have heard of me, and I feel kinda bad for not knowing anything about you."

"There isn't much to say," answered Amara with a teasing dash of mystery, "right now."

"We can't begin to thank you for saving our friends," said Trista. "Star Wolf must be quite formidable to have broken through the shields of one of our ships. Luckily, General Peppy informed us right away about the situation and called us here to discuss the matter further."

"What is there to talk about?" said Fox. "Star Wolf is good but not _that_ good. We'll take 'em down for you."

"None of us have any doubts in your ability," said Amara, coolly and dryly, very profession sounding. It was a great contrast from Fox's cocky tone. "The real problem is finding out who hired them. That is why we called you here. If at all possible, could you not kill Star Wolf when you encounter them? It is imperative for the further safety of our employees that the person who hired them is apprehended, so we need anyone who works for that person to be interrogated."

"That wouldn't be too hard," said Falco. "I can't believe those guys are being so risky. There is a nice price on each of their heads, and everyone knows it. We won't kill them on your request, but who knows what other bounty hunters will do."

"Do you have any idea who is trying to sabotage your company?" Slippy asked.

"There are definitely some candidates," said Trista, "but we don't believe that many of them could come up with a plan like this one."

"What do you mean?" said Slippy.

"It is nothing," said Amara hastily to stop the questioning. "We are sorry to be dragging you back onto duty like this, but you're familiarity with this group and other similar groups in this field of work will benefit us. Our bodyguards are quite capable of protecting us, but their knowledge of this world is minimal. You will be employed to keep an eye on any strange activity involving Star Wolf or other assassins. If you do come across any conspirators, apprehend them for questioning. I believe that you will see your payment as being largesse. Do you except?"

"We're on it," said Fox.

"You didn't say much," Kystal said to Peppy.

"They have already discussed it with me," said Peppy. "This was your briefing. The ship you saved is being towed to safety, and the crew will be shuttled to the main city. The address of their hotel has already been sent to your communicators. I have to get back to work. We should get together for dinner sometime."

The Star Fox team and the three women left the room and went in separate directions.

"Who do those chicks think they are?" said Falco in outrage. "Not only did they not let the old man talk, but they talked to us like they were the ones in charge."

"That was strange," said Krystal. "I have a feeling that there is more to those girls than what meets the eye."

"Remember that it is still a paycheck," said Fox. "You left too soon to see the number. It is a_ big_ number." He took Krystal's arm gingerly. "After this mission, the two of us could head down to Zoness for some _real _R and R."

"Now that would be nice," Krystal giggled.

"I can't wait to see my girlfriend, Amanda," said Slippy cheerfully.

Amara, Michelle, and Trista looked onto the city through one of the large windows. The scene was perfect for a postcard.

"You do feel that, don't you?" Amara said to the other two.

"Yes," answered Michelle. "Something demonic has come to this world. I fear for the safety of its people. Defensive magics against the dark arts are very bleak on this technology-born world."

"We must remain here longer to monitor this," said Trista. "I haven't felt an evil like this in this dimension since we fought… him."

About two hours after nearly being blown into space scraps, the Sailor Soldiers were taken to their hotel via armored shuttlecraft with tight security. Their piles of money made the best and most expensive hotel on Corneria their nest for the next few days until their ship is repaired. Jeff Stevens ordered his Elites to be with the girls at all times. This was to the girls' annoyance, who still wanted to explore the world. The documentary was postponed for good reasons. Link and Darien arrived later that evening from their work in Hyrule after hearing about what happened.

The night that followed was somewhat diverse from the norm. An amazing meal with five courses was eaten, and the rooms were prepared with the best linens. Yet the air was dinged with an ominous zephyr. Once Amara, Michelle, and Trista mentioned it, the others felt it too. Stranded on Corneria with mercenaries and more after them, the Sailor Soldiers had to make the best of their situation.

"Oh, Darien," said Serena as she latched onto her love like an ivy vine. "I was so scared when those weird guys were attacking us."

The two were in their suite together and ready for bed. Even though the time was a little grim, it did not damper Serena's love for sexy babydoll lingerie.

"It is all right now your safe with me," said Darien. "Tomorrow will be better. We're all going to that convention tomorrow. Think of the fun foods."

"I love food," said Serena feeling more sexually aroused by his breath on her head. "Why do we have to go to that convention anyway? It is just going to be a gadget show."

"Galactic Corporation was invited to this event, and you said yes to going," said Darien as he gently led her to the bed.

"I guess we have to go," said Serena. She slipped under the lavish covers and went to sleep immediately.


	6. Chapter 6

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

Requiem of Fathers

The Duel between Foxes and Wolves

"Papa! Papa!"

The canyon walls were closing in around him. Acrid swamp water slowly crept past his ankles. It was dark, very dark.

"Papa! Save me, Papa!"

The frantic cries rang out in the barren marsh. The sound of his sniffling tears was dull and fading. Wolf struggled to walk through the thick paste-like mud. The water now reached the rim of his shorts.

"Randal, stay with me, son!" Wolf bellowed into the darkness. "Papa is coming."

The sight of a young anthropomorphic wolf became a visible but only a portion. The water was to his chin and coming up higher. His arms waved frantically. "Papa, save me!" he screamed as his body continued to sink into the inky swamp.

"Randal!" Wolf cried, as he saw the boy's arm fade into the blackness. "NO! D*** IT!" He bashed the water furiously. "My son…"

"You can only blame yourself."

"Who is that?" Wolf asked.

"You are to blame," the voice said again, "It is your fault that your second son is cursed; it was your fault that your first son died. Your weakness cost you both of them. You're a failure as a father."

"Stop it!" screamed Wolf. He put his hands to his ears to block out the noise, but it didn't work. The voice penetrated his mind and was stadium-size loud. He was on his knees in pain with his eyes to the floor. "Stop it!"

"Why should you want to live?" the voiced said. "You lost the two symbols of your escape from poverty and abhorrence by the rest of society. Do you think that you still belong in this world?"

Wolf looked up to see a noose swinging before his face. The area had changed around him. It was no longer a hellish swamp. It was a rancid shantytown in a dustbowl town. The dirty faces of men and women in ragged clothing stared up at him. Barefooted children were at the sides of the adults with their faces hidden behind their parents' legs. Their faces frozen as through they were features of a painting. The only thing that showed on their boney faces was a look that was the same horrid masks the hopeless have on during Death's encroachment. Cornerian soldiers stood closer with their eyes fixated on the gallows where Wolf sat.

"You have nothing to stop you from coming to this place. Only by saving your son will you escape from here, but there is only one way to save him. Will you take it?"

"I will do anything!" begged Wolf. "Tell me what to do!"

Wolf awoke from the nightmare with a jolt. His fur was wet with a cold sweat. _Was it all just a dream? Is Randal fine?_ Wolf switched his nightstand lamp on. The lamp illuminated the dog bed in the corner that had a wolf pup sleeping soundly in it. Wolf's heart sank again. _It was not all a dream._ He got out of his bed and went into his bathroom. The florescent light stunned him for a short few seconds. Only in shorts, he stepped in front of the mirror and looked at himself. The scars on his upper body were the same as always. Tales of past combats he had rung in as the losers told them with each scar. The most disastrous encounter was repeated by the eye patch he was deemed to wear as his opponent's plaque. The faucet's water filled the glass Wolf held under it. He drank the water as though it were scotch. The backward jerk of his head took his eyes off the mirror for probably a second. When he came back to his regretful reflection, he was greeted by something much worse. The face of a deranged, demonic wolf with knife-like fangs glared at him. The face looked somewhat like Wolf's. Not knowing whether it was his drowsy mind playing tricks on him or something else, Wolf let out a shout of fear. He stumbled onto the toilet seat behind him. The wolf in the mirror slowly opened his mouth. Drool dripped from the beast's teeth like molasses. The bloodlust in its eyes pierced into Wolf's heart.

"Wolf!" shouted Panther from behind the bedroom door. "What is going on?" He pounded on the bedroom door three times before he remembered that he could use the security override for the door. As soon as he punched the code in and the door opened, Panther, wearing only a satin robe, dashed into the room and into the bathroom. Once he saw that Wolf was sitting on the toilet, he shielded his eyes with his hands.

"You can't be serious!" shrieked Panther with humiliation. "I thought you were in danger." He peeked through his fingers to see that Wolf was panicking and, most importantly, had pants on. "Is everything all right?"

Wolf looked at Panther and pointed to the mirror without leaving Panther's gawking. Panther's bare feet maneuvered around the broken glass Wolf had dropped. He looked into the mirror and only saw his own handsome reflection. With a cocky smile to the camera, he then turned to Wolf with a clueless look.

"There is nothing wrong with this mirror," Panther said. "Are you feeling all right?"

Feeling embarrassed, Wolf reasoned that it was just a reaction from lack of sleep. Panther wished him a good night and left. Randal was still asleep. Wolf looked at him until his eyes grew heavy and closed.

Panther did not return to his room. His mind was restless over the sudden predicament his leader was facing. To calm his nerves, he decided to make some chamomile tea. On his way to the kitchen, Panther found that the light was on. Leon sat at the table with a class of vodka before him. His narrow, bloodshot eyes slowly slid to view Panther.

"I see that I'm not the only one up at this hour," said Panther. Panther wanted to open the conversation lightly.

"You were just with Wolf, weren't you?" Leon said dryly.

"I was," said Panther as he joined Leon at the table. "The stress has gotten to him. Having his only son taken from him, I can't imagine what he his feeling."

"This is the second time for him," Leon added.

"What?" asked Panther, dumfounded by Leon's statement. "What do you mean by 'the second time'?"

"What I mean is that Wolf had a son before Randal," said Leon, not really paying attention to Panther but rather reminiscing into his shot glass, "who died tragically." There was a sudden shift in his speech. At first he was somber, but now he started to speak in a somewhat excited mood. "It was so tragic. Shot through the heart. I'm glad I never had kids. Poor Wolf. Shot straight through the heart. It sounds delicious somehow." He giggled once and then went back to being somber. "It tore Wolf apart."

Panther, who greatly respected Wolf, grew insulted by Leon's insensitivity towards their leader's catastrophe. He stood up from the table and grabbed Leon by the collar of his skin-tight, night shirt and pulled him forward. "How could you speak of something so horrible in such a manner?" Panther growled.

"Well, I'll tell you," said Leon, still melancholy. "I had a choice tonight: get drunk or take my medicine. Alcohol doesn't mix well with my pills. You seem to not know the history of our leader. You looked shocked when I mentioned him having another son. Are you curious? Aside from Wolf himself and his wife, I'm the only one that knows this story."

Panther let go of Leon and sat back down. "Tell me the story."

"Let me see," started Leon. "It all started on Katina, the planet where Wolf O'Donnell was born. Do you recall that time a while ago when some Cornerians of low income formed different sects to escape Corneria to find a place to live?"

"I remember reading about it," said Panther. "Are you saying that Wolf was born to one of those sects?"

"Yes. He was born to one of the least fortunate. It was a sect located near the edge of a desert. Water was scarce, and the game was few in number. The people reverted to primitive ways of life. They built up a tribal system with a chief. That chief was Wolf's father, Nathanial O'Donnell. Needless to say, life was still hard for Little Wolf. He was only five when it happened." Leon broke off and took in a shot of vodka.

The story was so tantalizing that it made Panther anxious enough to ask what happened when Leon was midway through the shot glass.

"The Cornerian Army landed near the village. They wanted to make the village their outpost for the region. They promised to help the people of the village if they started working for them. Nathanial O'Donnell, being crazed by the village's perpetual poverty, came to a conclusion. 'Corneria had forgotten about us but is expecting to assimilate us into its army.' That thought infuriated Nathanial, and he killed five soldiers with only a sword and his bare hands and feet. He was quickly captured though. The soldiers knew that the people had regressed mentally, so an old fashion method had to be used to _snap_ them into coming in their direction. The best way was to publically execute their leader, forcing them to submit to their superior power. It was a hanging. Not too old fashioned since it is still used today as the death penalty. A scaffold was built in the center of the village. All the villagers came to see it." Leon switched into a mood of withheld ecstasy. His narrow eyes gleamed with pleasure at the thought of what he was about to describe. "It was histrionic. The timing of the trap door opening below his feet, the sound of the rope crushing the bones in his neck, the muscular body of skilled warrior being pushed by the gentlest breeze: I wish I was there." Leon then dropped off again. This time it was because of tears. He was hysterical.

Panther knew that he really should have taken his medicine. Leon deeply cared for Wolf and would never enjoy seeing him in pain. It was clear that this choice of booze over schizophrenia medication was one that was decided by one question: Which one would help me forget his pain? Being prepared for anytime Leon was off his medication for too long, tranquilizers were stashed throughout the ship in case of emergency. Panther found one quickly and injected it into Leon's arm. Leon grew silent and motionless in a second. After carrying Leon to his room, Panther was still curious to the identity of Wolf's first son. In his room, he logged onto his computer and searched for any information. He did find something about Wolf's first son, but it was in a very unusually place. It was an article over the destruction of the anti-Cornerian sect Wolf and Leon belonged to sixteen years ago. The article didn't have any names, but it did describe the number of victims. One of the dead was a young wolf boy.

* * *

The town of Otis was not the ideal place to live, but for the Adams' Thieves Sect, it was enough of a utopia. Like many settlements on Katina, the vegetation is very steadily grown to offset famines due to harsh summers and less than nutrient copious soil. Irrigation from Lake Champaign was the key to establishing any kind of functional farming. With farms dotted around the lake, the main town was located about a few miles west, nestled in between to canyon walls. The buildings did not wave to the gods yet they do not look at all like shanties. They were simply designed. The people were happy. The highest branch of order came from the Adams' Thieves Sect, an anti-Cornerian faction devoted to escaping the claws of the Cornerian Army while using thievery and sabotage to further hinder their grasp on Katina.

Twenty-three year-old Wolf O'Donnell, a skilled pilot, had successfully climbed the ranks of the sect's air force division to become a commander. Not only was he young for a pilot, he was already married with a child. His wife, Abigail O'Donnell, took the role of housewife without hassle or resentment. She and Wolf had one son, Nate O'Donnell, named after Wolf's deceased father. They lived happily together in a generous apartment in the military zone's residential neighborhood. Their lives were fine and untouched by any strife…

"Papa!" called Nate. "Come see this."

"You're father is sleeping," said Abigail calmly. "Keep your voice down. I'll see what you want him to see."

Wolf lay comfortably on a bed of grass with his straw hat over his face as a guard from the sun's light. He had kicked his sandals off, put his hands behind his head, and let his mind drone into a doze. Denizens of the lake quacked rhythmically with the buzz of bugs. The wind carried the scent of oranges from a nearby orchard. Wolf lifted the hat off his face and sat up to see his three year-old son beaming at him.

"What is it, Nate?" the father asked.

"Come over here," instructed Nate as he ran to a patch of lilies near the lake shore. He stopped and pointed at one of the lilies. "What is that?"

Wolf looked at what his finger targeted and smiled. "You haven't seen one of those?"

"No, Papa," Nate answered.

What Nate was pointing to was a butterfly, a butterfly with carnation-pink wings. Feathering streaks of blue and yellow on the pink painted an image of loveliness on the canvas-white lily.

"That is a butterfly," Wolf said. "They say that they are a sign of hope for the future. Seeing one usually means that something wonderful will happen."

"I think I like butterflies," Nate said cutely.

The butterfly flew off of the lily and into the warm heavens like an angel returning to her home. The family watched the butterfly disappear from view.

The O'Donnell family ended their day trip to Lake Champaign and returned to their apartment, which had a view of the lake, at twilight. Twilight on a clear day in Otis was a magical sight. The red and pink sun's rays struck the lake and made the mirror-like surface glisten with a fiery crimson, like lava. Accompanied by the black and brown rocks, also splashed the fiery light, the scene through the O'Donnells' window was a tad hellish. Abigail joked about it the day they moved in, but ever since then, it was just another painting in the museum, notice and admired but not scrutinized by visitors. Wolf enjoyed ending his day with drink and the hellish image before him, never noticing its negative connotation.

Today was no different. Abigail prepared a beverage for her husband; Wolf sat in his chair facing the window; Nate played with his toys on the floor. When Nate's bedtime came around, Wolf was given the chore of convincing him to sleep.

"I want a drink of water," Nate whined.

"You just had one," said Wolf, "and if you drink more, you'll wet the bed again."

"Tell me a story, Papa," Nate said eagerly. His bottom bounced him up and down on the bed.

"Aren't you tired from playing at the lake?" said Wolf. He sighed. "Fine, let me think of a story."

"Give me one that has a butterfly," Nate requested.

"Really?" asked Wolf. "I thought you'd like something with knights and wizards more."

"I want both."  
"All right," said Wolf. He pulled the small chair from the small desk and sat down. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess. She was a human with the wings of a butterfly."

"A human?" interrupted Nate.

"Yes, she was a human," continued Wolf. "In her court, there was an evil warlock who resented the princess for her power and authority and wanted to steal the kingdom away from her. This warlock was a big man too, and the princess was a small, young lady. The warlock challenged the princess to a battle."

"How would the princess fight someone like that?" Nate interrupted yet again.

"Just wait," said Wolf. "The princess accepted the challenge. When the battle started, the warlock used his dark magic to curse the princess with darkness, but the attacks didn't work. The princess told him that light in her and all the citizens of the kingdom shines eternally and will cast evil away. She then used her power of purifying light to turn the warlock into a kind-hearted magician. He lived happily in the princess's court, and the princess ruled the land with light and love. And they lived happily ever after."

"A butterfly? Your ship, it looks like a butterfly," said Nate sleepily with a smile as his eyes closed, "a pretty butterfly princess."

With Nate finally asleep, Wolf went to his bedroom and joined his wife in bed.

The night was silent. There wasn't a sound. It was silent, complete silent.

It must have been midnight or so. The time was meticulously chosen for the event that would destroy Wolf's happy life. The sound of an explosion jolted Wolf awake. He sat up in bed. His wife slept still.

"Abby, wake up," he said as he shook her.

"What is it?" she asked sleepily.

"I heard something like a bomb going off."

Just then, another explosion sounded.

"I heard that," said Abigail.

A staccato of loud explosions began. Wolf leapt out of bed and went to the living room window. Hell had finally broken loose in the peaceful sect. Flames spread over the buildings. Black smoke rose into the sky. Fighters came through the black clouds and delivered cargos of death upon every structure. The Hell that always seemed impossible had finally appeared to him beyond the glass. The Cornerian Army had finally decided to destroy the Adams' Thieves Sect.

"Abby, get dress!" he shouted. "They've finally come."

Nate began to cry. Wolf burst through the door. Nate sat up on his wet bed teary eyed. Wolf went straight to the boy's dresser and got a set of clean clothes.

"Get dressed," he ordered as he threw the clothes in front of Nate.

"Papa, the loud noises are scaring me," Nate sobbed. "I didn't mean to wet the bed."

Wolf knew he had been too brash with his beloved son. He calmly, but quickly, helped Nate into clean clothes.

"We have to go now," Wolf said as he took Nate in his arms.

"What is going on, Papa?" Nate asked.

Abigail came out of the bedroom fully dressed.

"When we could die, you get dressed on time," said Wolf with a smirk, "but when we're late for a movie, it's another ten minutes."

"We don't have time for that or for you to get clothes," Abigail said hastily.

It was true. Wolf had only a tank top and pajama bottoms and was barefoot. Nonetheless, they exited the apartment. Once in the hallway, they saw others rushing to the stairs. Screams grew louder at the stairs. Wolf and Abigail crept down the stairs from the fourth floor to the ground floor. It was suddenly silent. Wolf knew something was wrong. With his child in his arms and wife at his side, he crept down the stairs enough to see into the lobby. In the lobby lay the bleeding bodies of his massacred friends. Nate saw the macabre image and quickly pushed his face into his father's chest and began to shiver.

"Papa, I'm scared," he whispered.

The family crept back up the stairs silently. Abigail knew of a maintenance staircase to the back. They went there only to find more people shot to death but in a lesser number. The killers were also not visible. The family continued down the maintenance corridor until the sound of someone else's footsteps became evident. Quickly, Wolf hid his family and himself in a supply closet. He kept the door open only a splinter. Nate's sniffling would give them away. Wolf patted his son gingerly to calm him down. The footsteps grew closer until a form was visible through the space between the door and the frame. Only one person was their, a male, anthropomorphic fox, possible in his thirties. He did not where the standard army uniform. His fur was a dark brown and his eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses.

"James McCloud here. This building has been cleared," the man said into his headset. "The Adams' Thieves Guild has been eliminated, sir. You were wise to have chosen Star Fox for this mission."

That name would never be forgotten by Wolf. McCloud. It burned every time it came into his mind. McCloud. Wolf's rage got the better of him. McCloud. He placed Nate with his mother and leapt out of the closet. He knocked James, who had his back to the closet, to the floor, causing his rifle to fall out of his grasp. The two wrestled intensely on the cement floor. Wolf tried to ring his neck with a head lock, but James wiggled out and bashed Wolf's head into a wall. Before James could reach his rifle, Wolf kicked it down the corridor. James pulled a knife and got a staggering Wolf in a hold ready to slit his throat. With a quick heel to the shin, Wolf broke that hold and lunged for the rifle with James quickly following. Wolf held the rifle for less than a second before getting a knife in his left eye. It didn't kill him, but it did destroy the eye. Blood gushed forth down his face and cascaded on to the cement floor, and he was unable to keep hold of the rifle. James got it. But, before he could kill Wolf…

"Papa!"

Out of sheer reflex, James McCloud whipped around and shot the one who spoke that word, a word that James didn't hear correctly. Abigail screamed. It was a horrid scream that rang through the ruins of the destroyed town like a banshee's wail. Wolf couldn't see straight. He did see that James had made some kind of horrible mistake. Feeling an unbelievable shame and disgust in himself for taking the life of a child, he retreated, leaving his parents alive.

Wolf held his left hand over his bleeding eye. He saw Abigail weeping over something, but it was far too blurry to tell. It hit him, like a life-killing meteor, the identity of blurry, bloody image cradled in his wife's arms.

Panther felt cold after reading. He lay back in his chair and looked to the ceiling.

_That is why you hurt so much_, thought Panther remorsefully. _What a horrible life you've lived._

He shut off his computer and slid into bed. The next day Wolf would get another chance to save Randal by killing the Sailor Soldiers.


	7. Chapter 7

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

A Day on the Town and a Convention

The Strange but Fun Kids of the Star Fox Fan Club

The next morning, Zoey and Link awoke in the same bed. Each on knew that nothing sexual occurred, but when the stepped into the hall together, the speculations started. Mostly it was just their misfortune to have Serena down the hall waiting for the elevator. When she saw them exit the bedroom, she thought that something had happened. She decided to take the stairs for greater speed to reach the others at breakfast.

"You saw them leave the room together?" Rei gasped.

"That means that Zoey isn't a…" Mina said stagnantly.

"It isn't fair to assume that," said Amy. "Maybe they just wanted to sleep in the same bed. You know how horrible these rumors can get."

"At least she lost it to the perfect guy," Lita said dreamily. "I hope the same happens to me."

"What I want to know is why Zoey didn't tell us first that she was ready," said Serena in a whine.

"Ready for what?" Zoey asked as she came to the table with the five girls. They all stared at her. "Is something wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell us that you were ready to sleep with Link?" Serena demanded. "I thought we were close."

"I did not have sex with Link," Zoey snapped.

"Then why did you guys come out of your room _together_ this morning?" questioned Mina.

"That?" said Zoey. "We just slept in the same bed, fully dressed. Nothing happened. We have been sleeping in the same bed for months now. This is why I never told you guys. I knew you would make a thing of it."

"I told you all nothing happened," said Amy.

"You girls should know that I made my parents a promise to wait until my wedding night," Zoey said.

"Sorry for blowing up on you," said Serena. "Hugs?"

"Yeah," Zoey answered as the two hugged.

"So what do we have planned today?" Zoey asked as she joined them at the table.

"There is a special convention for the newest gadgets," said Amy. "It should be very informative."

"It is also going to have lots of cool rides and food," said Mina. "Amara, Michelle, and Trista are coming too."

"Sounds great," said Zoey.

Meanwhile, Fox was just beginning to wake up. He and his team lived year-round on the Great Fox without any complaint, especially none from Fox who had it for a home for over eight years. Most importantly to Fox, it was part of his inheritance from his father. Fox grew lazier on his time off. Even though he was fully awake by this time, he just did not want to leave his bed.

"Fox, breakfast is ready," Krystal said over the intercom.

This was quite unorthodox. Usually, every member of Star Fox ate at whatever time he or she felt fit. There must be something special if Krystal deliberately called for Fox over the intercom. He rubbed his face with his hands and moved the covers off his body. It was frustrating for him to have to get out bed, for he often had to recently. With only two or so hours of sleep the alarm would sound because pirates or bounty hunters were coming to claim something, grandeur or whatever. Since this instance didn't require dire speed or even necessary preparation, Fox, who had only worn boxers to bed, simply put on pants and a white t-shirt and went barefoot to the kitchen. As he approached the kitchen, the smell of home cooking perked up his senses. Falco and Slippy were at the table. Slippy, who was used to waking up early, was fully dressed and awake with a smile. Falco, so much like Fox, wore the same clothes and tired expression of his best friend.

"You look sleepy," said Slippy. "Why is it that you and Falco aren't very good morning people?"

"Shut up, Slippy," Falco said lazily.

"What is going on?" Fox asked.

"Krystal is making us all breakfast," said Slippy.

"Krystal can cook?" questioned Fox.

"Yes, I can cook," Krystal said as she appeared in a white apron with a plate of pancakes in her arms. "You all just never stick around together at the table long enough for me to even bother. Maybe once in a while you guys should try it a few times. We'll do it and look more like a family."  
"Family?" Fox repeated. It seemed surreal to hear it. For all of Fox's time with them, he never used the word family to describe his team. After all, the only family he ever knew was his father and a mother who died before he could know her.

Krystal placed the first plate before Fox. "I really hope you like them." She then came with Falco and Flippy's plates. She sat down with them. "Well? What do you think?"

"They're great," said Fox. "I had no idea you could cook this well."

"You should get used to it pretty easily then," Krystal said playfully.

Fox nearly choked upon hearing that comment. _Is Krystal trying to make me think about…ma…mar…marri… _Even in his own head he couldn't say it. Fox wasn't ready for marriage. It just wasn't an option at the moment, and the justification of that statement was not easily found by Fox. He just didn't want to get married right now.

"Don't forget that we're supposed to go to the Gadget Convention this afternoon," said Slippy. "My dad and girlfriend are going to be there. I haven't seen them in so long."

"I still can't believe you of all people hooked up with a woman," said Falco.

"It's true," said Slippy happily. "Amanda is really nice and sweet and pretty and funny. I know that I'm going to marry her someday."

"That is sweet, Slippy," Krystal said. "She is very lucky to have a guy as sweet as you."

"Whatever," Falco said under his breath.

"You know, Falco," Krystal said having heard his comment, "not everyone is into the strong and muscular type. Some girls like them smart and a little pudgy. Some girls like them cocky and obnoxious. There seem to be a lot of those, _right_? Or is it just Katt who is into that kind of guy?"

Falco got served. After they ate, Fox and Falco got fully dressed, and they all got ready to go to the convention. They exited Great Fox and boarded a limousine. It wasn't Fox's nor anyone else's wish to take something so extravagant, but if it was there for them, they might as well use it. As they rode down into the city to the convention center, they came to a traffic light. On one of the buildings a jumbotron showed a commercial for the new Sailor Moon cartoon.

"They're hot. They're powerful. They fight for love and justice. They're the Sailor Soldiers!" the announcer said. "Based of the real life heroes, these beautiful girls fight crime in style and beauty. Coming soon to you're TV."

Then an animated Sailor Moon came on. "And in the name of the moon, watch our show!"

"What kind of person do you think that Sailor Moon _really_ is?" said Fox.

"She must be amazing," said Slippy. "I have watched trailers about that show. Each one of those Soldiers is something special."

"We didn't ask about what they are like on the show," Falco hissed. "I think that those girls are some nuts with powers looking to cash in."

"That is a horrible thing to say," Krystal said angrily. "Not everyone is driven by money. It would be something to see one in action though."

"That would be a sight," Fox said with a smirk. "Hot girls jumping around in miniskirts, it sounds terrific."

"What do you mean by that, Fox?" said Krystal, flabbergasted. "I hope you didn't mean to say that out loud."

Fox completely didn't expect that reaction.

"You're in trouble," Slippy giggled.

The convention center building was enormous and as big as the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. It had all the trimmings of a lovely technological wonder. The mirror-like glass on huge windows gave the exquisite city a look at its phenomenal reflection. With the sun's rays toughing every bit of the structure, its glimmer made it look like a jewel among the dull parking garages around it.

The limousine went around the dozens of parking lots and garages to drop the passengers off at the west entrance. At the same time, two other limousines containing the Sailor Soldiers pulled up to the east entrance.

"It's so big," marveled Serena, who clung to Darien's arm.

"There are so many attractions," said Amy as she looked through a pamphlet. "There is a cooking division with many new items for the kitchen."

"I'd like to see that," said Lita.

"I'll come with you," Mina added.

"There is car and vehicle exhibit," Amy said. "I think Amara would be interested in that."

"I think we will check it out," Amara said. She, Michelle, and Trista left.

"They sure left quickly," Zoey added. She turned to Link. "What would you like to do, honey?"

"I'll do what ever you want to do," Link answered.

"Good answer," Rei whispered.

"I know that I want something to eat," Serena butted in.

"We had breakfast not too long ago," Darien said.

"I want food," Serena whined.

"There is an extensive food court…" Amy started.

"We'll go there!" Serena said happily.

"We might as well join them," Zoey said to Link, "you know, to just make sure Serena doesn't get lost along the way and to help Darien if she does get lost."

Everyone went off to their own destinations leaving Amy and Rei alone.

"Do you mind if I stick around with you?" Rei asked.

"Not at all," Amy said. "Let's start with something we both would like. How about we check out the home entertainment exhibit?"

"That sounds cool," Rei agreed. "Let's go."

Meanwhile, the Star Fox Team had made their way to the weapons exhibit. Crazy looking rifles and tiny handguns with enough power to blow a soccer ball-sized hole in someone's unguarded chest lined display cases. The newest stealthy spy plane was sleek to the eye when still visible and invisible when in motion. Speedy submersible crafts were half submerged in huge tanks just to get a view of it when in the water and out of water. And standing before one of the submarine housing tanks was a male, middle-aged, olive green, anthropomorphic toad and a much younger and taller pink, female, anthropomorphic toad. The male toad was Beltino Toad, Slippy's father and the Research Director for The Cornerian Defense Force. The woman was Amanda, Slippy's girlfriend. Until just then, Fox and Falco were not sure if she was real or not. She apparently was real and very in love with Slippy. She went to him with open arms and embraced him tightly. It was pretty funny to see since Amanda was taller and somewhat physically strong since she picked Slippy slightly off the ground.

"I missed you, honey," Amanda said sweetly.

"It is great to see you again, my boy," Beltino said to Slippy. "It is great to see the rest of you all too." He said to the other Star Fox members.

"How is it going, Beltino?" Fox asked casually.

"Everything has been going splendidly," he answered enthusiastically. "The new computers came in at the office and there is now an espresso machine on my floor. You wouldn't believe the other day. I went to make some copies, and the machine was out of toner. You would think that something like that wouldn't happen at the Cornerian Defense Force."

Fox, Falco, and Krystal left while he was talking, and he didn't even notice. He just continued to babble with only is son and Amanda remaining as his audience. Falco went on his own way while Krystal and Fox travelled together.

Meanwhile, Lita and Mina had made their way to the cooking and kitchen appliances exhibit. Stands with countless gadgets from futuristic toasters to futuristic ovens ran on one side of the long exhibit hall while samples food made by these contraptions could be bought on the other side. Lita loved Home Economics and cooking while Mina mostly enjoyed the food itself. Mina went from stand to stand buying whatever made her mouth wet. Lita gazed patiently at the demonstrations of new eggbeaters, bread makers, and more.

They met up again in the center of the exhibit hall where there were benches.

"What did you buy?" Lita asked, eyeing Mina's pile of boxed foods.

"I totally found some great deals," Mina said happily. "I found great, freshly-baked brown bread that is so soft. Oh my god! It is like biting into cotton candy. There was a great stand serving gourmet chocolates. I freakin' need chocolate right now. It helps me deal with breaking up with Booster Gold, the womanizer! I can't remember if I bought more white chocolate or milk chocolate."

Lita eyes went to something behind Mina, and she made a face. "Are the chocolates in red boxes?"

"How did you know?" Mina said.

Lita pointed to her pile of boxes on the bench. What was so freaky was that there was male, anthropomorphic, light green squirrel of about sixteen of age shoveling Mina's chocolate into his mouth. He wore a black sweatshirt, grey shorts, and black flip-flop sandals. Both of them stared at him in disbelief. When he finally noticed that they were staring at him, he slowly looked up at them. His left eye didn't look at them though, for it was a lazy eye. He looked awkward then smiled a brilliant smile. Then he took the bags of chocolate and ran.

"Thief!" Mina shrieked as she ran after him.

"Give the chocolate back!" Lita called as she followed Mina.

The boy ran quickly in flip-flops, fast enough to escape Lita and Mina. As he ran, he let out a crazed laugh as through mentally in a euphoric state. His run ended when he had the misfortune of ramming right into Falco. When they collided, the boy bounced off while Falco remained standing sturdily. The boxes of chocolate fell to the ground and scattered and spread across the floor. The boy rubbed his head and looked up and Falco. Upon recognizing him, he gasped. Falco, angered by the thief, grabbed the boy by his collar and lifted him off his feet. Mina and Lita arrived. They recognized Falco, but he didn't recognize them. He did, however, notice their beauty. He let the boy's feet touch the ground. With one hand on his shoulder, Falco steered the boy to face them.

"Apologize," Falco commanded.

The boy was sniffling. "I'm sorry for stealing your candy," he said, terrified of Falco.

"Pick the boxes up," Falco ordered.

The boy did so and handed Mina the boxes.

"Get out of here," Falco said.

The boy scurried off.  
"Thank you so much, Mr. Lombardi," Mina said.

"Don't worry about it," Falco said suavely, "and call me Falco." He departed.

"He is so smooth," Mina said when he was out of earshot.

"Those feathers do look pretty sleek," Lita said, not getting what Mina meant.

The boy with his head held low walked down the hall in shame and disgust. The hall led to an open area that gave a view and stairways to the lower floor. There was a large man-made waterfall placed at the side of the room opposite of the hall he came from. The soft and nearly silent cataracts trickled down from geometric slops and into a large, dark brown, marble rectangular fishpond. On the walls of this little rest area were small shops and food venders. Marcel Chevalier, the boy who had stolen from Mina and Lita, came down the stairs into the rest area.

There was a group of children standing at the railing of the pond, looking at the fish. They were all boys: one was eleven; one was seven; one was four. The older two were green squirrels, and the youngest boy was a green bear, who, ironically, had a teddy bear in one hand. Each boy wore cheap clothing: t-shirts, pants, and sandals. They were, in fact, his younger brothers: Gautier (eleven years-old), Bastien (seven years-old), and Durand (four years-old). Marcel was slow to approach them, for his sugar-induced euphoria had ended. He had to babysit them, for his mother had recently become sickly, and his father…well…

"Big Brother is here!" Bastien said cheerfully.

Marcel sat on one of the benches nearby and let his brothers gather by him. Bastien, in particular, sat right next to Marcel.

"Where did you go, Big Brother?" Gautier asked impatiently. "We have been waiting."

"I had to have some alone time," Marcel said solemnly.

Bastien was the only one that noticed a hurt in his eyes. Gautier didn't really care, and Durand just hugged his bear to his chest with one arm and put the fingers from his free hand into his mouth. Bastien leaned comfortingly against his older brother.

"Are you still bent up about how they took Papa away?" Bastien whispered.

Marcel smiled and laid his cheek against the top of Bastien's head. "Don't worry about me. You should worry more for your other big brother, Harvey. He is in the army. I'll get you all a small snack. I have enough spendable cash on me to get something from a vending machine. You all could use a little something."

"Thanks, Big Brother," the three boys said.

Marcel took his leave, feeling an immense pressure in his chest. As he approached the snack machines, he heard the voices of four acquaintances. He really wished not to see them. He turned to see that he was right about the inference. The group consisted of four kids from Marcel's school, Happy Tree High, who were also the top members of the Star Fox Fan Club. Byron Jones, the canary yellow rabbit, nicknamed Cuddles, was the President of the club.

Timmy Williams, the light purple beaver, nicknamed Toothy, was the Vice-President. The two girls of the group did not come with a title from the club. Emily Dickens, nicknamed Giggles, was a pink chipmunk. Petunia Prescott, who lacked a nickname, was a blue skunk. Marcel had sore feelings about them because they have on several occasions made fun of him for his lazy eye and candy addiction.

Byron Jones, in particular, teased Marcel since they were kids, and he is the one who gave Marcel the nickname Nutty. Byron loved action and the feel of adrenaline. With skills on a skateboard, on a surfboard, on a soccer field, and in Martial Arts, Byron has earned a well known reputation at his school for being a daredevil. Oddly though, he is almost always seen wearing pink bunny slippers and often found in jeans and polo shirt with the name of his hero, Fox McCloud, written in bold letters on the chest.

Timmy Williams, Byron's best friend, is much less of a risk-taker than Byron. Honestly, he is timid in comparison and somewhat of a crybaby. He follows Byron's every word and joins him in teasing Marcel. He copies Bryon's fashion style but replaces the pink bunny slippers with tennis shoes.

Emily Dickens is the most popular girl at Happy Tree High and Byron's girlfriend. She is sweet and scolds Byron for teasing Marcel if she catches him in the act. Her best friend is Petunia. She wears a pink bow in her hair all the time. She always looks innocent in her yellow sundresses and Mary Janes.

Petunia Prescott is fine not having a nickname. She comes from a wealthy family. Her father is a stockbroker. For a skunk, she doesn't smell, yet the hackneyed stereotype has made her alienated by many. She loves to wear pumps with socks, mini skirts with sweaters, a flower in her hair, and an air freshener around her neck for good measure.

"Look who it is," Byron said to his friends. "It's the neighborhood's candy addict, Nutty. Looks like he is about to try to quench his insatiable lust of candy." He laughed and came closer to Marcel. "We all know he'd never share with anyone."

"Get away from me!" Marcel snapped.

"Looks like Nutty is running on empty," Byron continued.

"Stop pestering him," Petunia scolded.

"You should listen to Petunia," Emily said. "Why are you such a jerk to Marcel?"

"We kind of have to be since he said that he likes Wolf from Star Wolf," Timmy added.

Emily got close to Byron and hugged him. "Cuddles, please don't start a fight with him. Remember that he is just as good as you are at martial arts."

"Why are you guys here anyhow?" Marcel asked.

"Star Fox has been sighted here at this convention," Timmy squealed. "I really want to see Falco again. He is so cool."

"Kystal is totally my idol," Emily said dreamily.

"Mine too," Petunia added.

"Fox will always be the best," Byron said.

"None of you like Slippy?" Marcel questioned trying to get Byron distracted from his initial intentions of bullying him.

"No!" they all said in unison.

"Why are we wasting our time talking to you?" Byron said. "Let's go."

While the others left, Petunia stuck around Marcel for a little longer.

"Don't let Byron get to you," Petunia said. "Here." She reached into her purse and pulled out a candy bar. "I think you'll like this."

"Petunia?" Emily called.

"I'd better get going," Petunia said. "I'll see you around."

As Marcel watched her and looked down at the candy bar, he felt something beautiful in his heart.


	8. Chapter 8

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

Trouble at the Gadget Convention

The Return of the Witches 5

Star Wolf had failed miserably to kill the Sailor Soldiers, so now they had to report to their master and employer at his secret lair on Corneria. The huge cathedral they entered had no sign of light except for the candles situated around the altar. The sun could not pass through the stained glass windows. All the sunlight accomplished was revealing the grisly images on the windows, images of demons devouring people and the undead walking in the place of the living. The floor made a mosaic pattern in tiles of blood red, black, and shades of grey. There were no pews, but there was a crimson carpet rolled from the door to the altar. Behind the altar lay an enormous pipe organ. The huge brass pipes reached to the high ceiling. It was so cold. Even with the candles there was no feeling of warmth in the dark cathedral. The candles were set upon tall golden candlesticks that were placed around the steps to the altar and on the altar itself. Star Wolf's employer stood behind the altar. His face did not meet the candlelight. He remained obscured in darkness. Wolf, Panther, Leon, and Andrew immediately bowed upon seeing his fiery eyes burn through the darkness.

"Master, we have returned," Wolf said, not daring to look into those hellish eyes.

"You failed," their master said. His voice was low, calm, and terrifying.

"Let us have another chance," Wolf pleaded. "We would have succeeded earlier if it wasn't for Star Fox."

"Silence!" the master boomed. "You will get another chance, but first, my other team will get their hand at this task. They know the Sailor Soldiers very; they died at their hands."

The door to the cathedral opened. The members of Star Wolf turned around to see who had come. Through the tall doors came five beautiful, teenage girls, ranging from fifteen to seventeen.

"Let me introduce to the Witches 5," the master said, "Eugeal, Mimet, Telulu, Byruit, and Cyprin."

Eugeal was the oldest and dawned red. She wore a red tank top that exposed her midriff, red Capri pants, and strappy, red pumps. There was a red star pattern on her tank top, a black star choker around her neck, and a single large red star earring dangling from her right ear. Her long red hear was separated into three ponytails.

Mimet had shoulder-length, curly, golden blonde hair. She wore an extravagant, pearl tiara on her forehead. Her top was skimpy, consisting of connected stars of red and black fabric with a black top over her breasts. The skirt she wore was like a black and yellow ballerina skirt. From the skirt down to her feet went her yellow and black, high-heeled boots.

Telulu had her green hair in two bun-like pigtails. Her dress was black and green and backless. She wore green stockings and black flats. Black strings that looked like thorny vines covered her arms and legs and then all connected at a black start above her breasts.

Byruit had long, snow-white hair. Her backless dress was black with ice-like patterns on her hips and on her breasts. He had a spiky beret with the same ice pattern and a matching armband on her left arm. She had pale blue stockings and pale blue, high-heeled boots. She had a light blue choker around her neck that bared a black star.

Cyprin had her blue hair in a side-braid. Her backless dress was black and blue with a black ribbon above where the skirt part of the dress started on her back. She had blue and black stockings and blue, heeled boots. She too had a choker with a black star.

None of the Star Wolf members could believe that they had been replaced by teenage girls. Panther was the only one to fully realize how sexy they were.

"My Witches 5," the master said, "the time has come for you to finally get your revenge upon the Sailor Soldiers for what they have done to you. I have resurrected you and given you improved abilities. You may have your pick of demons and Heartless to use on your missions. Now go out and bring me news of their deaths."

The witches bowed and took their leave. Star Wolf followed them.

"Who are you?" Wolf demanded.

Eugeal turned to face him. "So you do speak? I thought you were just a dog that barked and flew around in a ship."

"Watch your tongue, girl," Wolf snapped.

"Careful, Eugeal," Telulu laughed. "This puppy looks like he has sharp teeth."

"His bark is totally worse than his bite if you ask me," Byruit scoffed. "Don't get him in too much of fuss, or he might huff and puff and blow us down or just piddle on the floor." She and the other witches broke out in laughter.

Now Wolf was losing his temper. Panther stepped towards Mimet.

"Hello there," he said suavely. "My name is Pather Caroso." He pulled a rose from his pocket and handed it to Mimet.

Mimet squealed with delight. "You are such a sweetie!"

"Come down, Mimet," Cyprin said. "I know we've been in Hell for a while, but you still need standards."

That comment crippled Panther's self-esteem.

"I just love it when guys drool all over me," Mimet giggled.

"No time for that," Eugeal said. "The Boss has us on the clock. Sorry, Star Wolf. We don't have time to play with you."

"You guys can just keep busy playing with Wolf's puppy," Byruit said, intentionally trying to aggravate him.

Wolf lost it and lunged at Byruit but was intercepted by Telulu, who caught his raised fist.

"Bad dog," Telulu said with a smile. Vines erupted from her wrist and wrapped themselves around Wolf's body. Electricity shot through the vines, harming Wolf. With her noticeable strength, Telulu threw him onto the ground. "Now you think about what you did."

The Witches 5 departed. Wolf sat up and began seething with rage.

At the convention, Rei and Amy had arrived at the home entertainment exhibit. The televisions on display had incredible resolution and picture. The home theater rooms had the works: huge television, surround sound, leather couches with places to put food as well as built-in mini-refrigerators. There was a small brook that was built into the exhibit hall that ran down the center. Rei broke off from Amy to view a stereo system. Amy, not too interested in the glitz, just wandered around the hall. While she walked about the exhibit hall, Slippy, Beltino, and Amanda arrived.

"It is never too soon to start looking for good furniture for your future home," Beltino said. "Something every man needs is a great television set. At my home, I have my own media room. You may consider doing the same and designating one room in the house for such purpose."

"They all look so cool," Amanda marveled. "How do we choose?"

"You're lucky to have Slippy and I with you her," Beltino said. "Let us start our search with plasma screens."

Amy was walking in the section they entered. Soon enough, they all found themselves viewing the same television. Slippy recognized her right away.

"Excuse me, miss," Slippy said to Amy. "I believe we met yesterday, am I right?"

Amy recognized him too. "Yes. Goodness! You're from Star Fox. I want to thank you in person for saving my friends and myself."

"It is what we do," Slippy said. "My name is Slippy Toad. This is my dad, Beltino Toad, and this is my girlfriend, Amanda."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Amy said to each of them with a hand shake. "I am Amy Mizuno. I must say that I really like this planet. It is truly remarkable to see how you have balanced technology with nature."

"Isn't it a marvel?" Beltino said. "Our ancestors knew that they had to take care of this world and passed on that notion to us. We use science for the good of everyone on the planet and the planet itself, the Jewel of the Lylat System."

"That is remarkable," Amy said. "I feel the same way. Science should be for the good of mankind. I wish people on my world felt the same."

"You seem really nice," said Slippy. "What do you do?"

"I am currently studying to become a doctor," Amy said. "It has been my dream since I was girl. I also do work as a spokeswoman for Sailor Scout Industries."

Amy continued to have a nice conversation when Rei arrived. She too introduced herself to the happy family. Suddenly, the large TV they were standing by showed a static picture. Then every other TV in the show room showed a static screen.

"What is going on?" Amanda asked.

"There must be a malfunction in the wiring," Beltino suggested.

Just then, the screen on every TV showed the image of Eugeal and Byruit. Rei and Amy were astonished, for they knew that they were dead.

"I've never seen this show before," Slippy said.

"Attention, convention goers," Eugeal said. "This is Eugeal and Byruit of the Witches 5. As you can see we are super hot and have hacked into your systems. We would just like to give you all a fair warning that there are going to be demons unleashed on the show room floor iiiiiiiinnnn…now."

The camera suddenly went off the two women and onto two flames and two blocks of ice suspended in the air. The flames then manifested into two Flame Atronachs, and the ice blocks morphed into two Frost Atronachs. The camera then went back on the girls.

"Feel free to scream and run for you lives," Byruit said playfully.

Screams were heard all over the show room, and people were running for the exits.

"What is going on?" Amanda said. "Oh, Slippy, I am so frightened."

"Don't worry, Amanda," Slippy said. "I'm sure that it is just a hologram trick. Miss Hino, Miss Mizuno…" Slippy found that they had disappeared.

The three went out onto the show room floor where Eugeal and Byruit and the four Atronachs stood.

"You have disturbed the peace," Slippy said to them with "authority". "Please shut off your holograms and come peacefully."

"You think you're a tough guy, don't you?" Byruit teased. "You're an idiot, a pudgy idiot. That's for sure. And just so know those _really _aren't holograms."

One of the Flame Atronachs threw a fireball at the group. They still thought it was a hologram but still dodged. They soon found that it was real when the missed attack incinerated a potted plant.

"Those are real?" Beltino said, flabbergasted.

"Oh yeah, they're real alright," said Eugeal, "and they don't like midget frog people."

"Mercury Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Mars Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

Amy became Sailor Mercury; Rei became Sailor Mars. Both of the Flame Atronachs threw fireballs. The three toads were so bamboozled to the fact that they were real that they couldn't move. Then, a stream of water shot from the artificial creek they were standing next to and intercepted the fire, extinguishing it.

"They showed up pretty quickly," Byruit said.

"Villains who try to ruin fine quality entertainment have no taste in what is good," said Sailor Mars, who was standing with Sailor Mercury on a stage showcasing a new type of popcorn maker. "I'm the Soldier of Passion. I am Sailor Mars. I'll chastise you!"

"It is wrong to do such things on a world were there is peace and tranquility and unity with nature," said Sailor Mercury. "I'm the Soldier of Wisdom. I am Sailor Mercury."

"You girls never disappoint," Eugeal said bitterly.

"How are you even here?" Mars said. "You two are supposed to be dead."

"We're not going to tell you anything," Eugeal snapped. "We're back and stronger than ever. This time our muscle doesn't suck. Atronachs, get rid of them!"

The Flame Atronach threw Fireballs at the girls.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!"

Sailor Mercury threw a stream of water from her hands at the Atronachs, nullifying the fire and striking the Atronachs to the ground, killing them.

"Burning Mandala!"

Sailor Mars shot numerous rings of fire at the Frost Atronachs. Their attacks did not block hers, and the fire melted them into nothing.

"What now?" Sailor Mars said. "When your monster is dead, you usually run off crying."

"Not this time," said Eugeal. She put her hand out and shot a blast of fire at the Sailor Soldiers. "Fire Buster!"

They dodged by flying off the platform. The popcorn machine exploded and popcorn went everywhere. When Sailor Mercury land, she was met by an ice beam. The beam pinned her to the wall. It was fired by Byruit.

"Surprised, Miss Smarty Pants?" Byruit said. "We said that we're back and better than ever."

Before the ice encased her completely, Sailor Mercury made it shatter. She then ran towards Byruit. As she ran, she gathered water from the artificial creek into a large blast and flung it at her once close enough.

"Mosaic Buster!"

An ice beam shot from Byruit hands and froze the water blast. Sailor Mercury flew over the ice with a whip of water. She lashed the whip and struck Byruit in the torso. Byruit stumbled back. Mercury came towards her ready with a kick. Byruit swiftly blocked with an arm.

"That's right," said Byruit. "I have new moves."

Byruit then started to threw some punches. Mercury blocked them and threw some strikes.

Eugeal threw fireballs at Sailor Mars. Mars dodged them. By throwing her fist forward, she sent off bursts of fire at Eugeal. They were pretty evenly matched so far. Then, armed Cornerian guards began to arrive on the scene.

"It's the fuzz!" Eugeal shrieked. "I don't feel like getting shot."

"Let's get out of here," Byruit said.

Clouds of darkness swirled around them, and they vanished.

"That was freaky," Sailor Mars said to Mercury. "How could they be back from the dead?"

"We should tell the girls what has happened," Sailor Mercury said.

Meanwhile, Marcel gave his brothers their snack. They were sitting together when Falco came down into the area. He looked off at the waterfall and then turned to the benches where people sat. He was looking for someone. Then two hands went over his eyes.

"Guess who," a voice said playfully.

"Katt, I know it's you," Falco said. "No other person in the world would have the stones to something like this to me."

"You got it," she said as she took her hands down. Katt Monroe was an anthropomorphic cat with cotton candy pink fur. "It has been too long, Falco."

"It is great to see you," Falco said.

"Are you going to stick around on Corneria a bit longer?" Katt asked. She went to his side and looped her arm around his. "I just can't stand being away from you for so long."

Falco remained silent, uncomfortable. Before he could respond, Mimet, disguised in civilian clothing, came up to him.

"Hi!" Mimet said cheerfully. She came very closely to him. "You're Falco Lombardi, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Falco said, backing away slightly from the eager girl.

"Wow!" Mimet giggled. "This is so great. I can't wait for the girls to hear about this." She reached into her purse and pulled out an autograph book and a pen. "Could you give me your autograph?" She pushed the book so closely to him that it nearly touched the tip of his beak.

Falco, annoyed by her, still took the book and pen. "Who is this for?"

"Write it out to Mimet," she said. Falco wrote his signature in the book and handed it to her. "Thank you so much. By the way, I want you to know that I think you are such a great guy. Would you mind coming with me to get something to eat together?"

Before Falco could answer, Katt slammed in. "Back off, girl! He is off limits."

"You're his girlfriend?" Mimet said, shocked.

"Yes," Katt said. "Now beat it."

Mimet left, furious. She went over to one of the food stands where Telulu, also in civilian clothes, was buying a churro.

"I have just been told off by a cat woman," Mimet said angrily.

"Really?" Telulu said as she bit into her churro.

"Yeah," said Mimet. "It was like so mean of her."

"That is so sad," Telulu said. "You know what will make you feel better? Causing some mayhem will do the trick."

Telulu walked forward and pumped into Petunia from behind. Petunia's tail tickled her nose, giving her the sensation to sneeze. Petunia spun around just in time to meet the sneeze right in the face.

"I am so sorry," Telulu apologized. "I didn't mean to…"

She stopped when she saw that Petunia was hyperventilating. Petunia took a paper bag from her purse and began breathing into it until her attack ended.

"Are you all right?" Telulu asked, dumbfounded.

"I need water and soap!" Petunia shrieked. She repeated the phrase as she ran off into the ladies' room. She nearly plowed through Telulu.

Telulu and Mimet watched her as she scurried off. "What was that about?" Mimet said.

"She has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder," Emily said, who had approached them along with Byron and Timmy.

"Hello," Byron said to the new girls. "You're humans. What a surprise? You don't see humans here too often."

"Yeah…" Telulu said.

"So what brings two nice looking girls like you to a gadget convention?" Timmy asked.

"Oh, we're here to see some _old friends_," Telulu answered.

"Say, could I ask you something?" Timmy asked.

"What is it?"

Timmy looked very anxious. "Have you seen Falco Lombardi around by chance?"

"Yes," Mimet happily answered. "I got his autograph."

"So he is here!" Timmy squealed with delight. The tone of his voice was so full of joy that his talking began to sound like singing. "I can't wait to see him again." He anxiously got closer to Mimet and Telulu for answers. "Where did he go? Was he with the other Star Fox members? What was he wearing? Is he in a good mood? Is he free for interviews?"

His bright and smiling face was inches from Mimet's. "I don't know," Mimet squeaked awkwardly.

Timmy's smile flipped into a frown. "I can't believe I missed him again. I have been stocking him for months, and I know all his schedules and patterns."

"What?" Telulu said, noticing the abnormality of the boy.

"I need to keep looking," he said.

"Whatever you say?" Byron added.

"It was nice meeting you two," Emily said as she skipped off.

"That was weird," Telulu said. "Who cares about that? We need to cause disaster so Venus and Jupiter get here." The clothes she was wearing instantly changed into her witch costume.

"I'm right with you," Mimet said as she changed into her costume. She put on a microphone headset that had been wirelessly link ahead of time by Byruit to take control of the intercom in the cooking exhibition.

"Hello, Corneria!" Mimet joyously called through the microphone. Mina and Lita heard the announcement from their location. "This is a very special day because today the lovely ladies of the Witches 5 make their comeback!"

Mina and Lita, who were walking at the opposite end of the long hall, gasped. "It's Mimet!" Mina exclaimed in shock.

"How can that be?" Lita said. "The Witches 5 died."

Mimet continued her announcement. "We don't want this to be any harder than it has to be. Sailor Soldiers, come here to the fish pond at the end of the exhibition hall unless you want innocent people to be in a lot of trouble." Mimet turned to Telulu. "Do you want to summon them now or later?"

A crowd of people had gathered to watch the girls. From the crowd, the Star Fox Fan Club watched them. Marcel was there too with his little brothers near him. Then several unarmed security guards came. One of them came to them in a very condescending way. He crossed his arms over his chest and gravely looked down at the two witches.

"You two girls need to come with me," the security guard said.

"I'd like to see you make us," Telulu said. Telulu sent a kick into the man's stomach. The wind shot out of him, and he went flying into the other guards. Upon quick rebuttal, they ran off for better enforcement. The crowds retreated to the rim of the lower level and the banister of the second level.

Marcel's younger brothers tightened around their big brother.

"We can't let them get away with that," said Timmy.

"What could we do?" Petunia asked. "Better guards are coming."

"Who needs lame guards?" Byron scoffed. "Those chicks just have some moves, but me and Timmy, we can take 'em." Without really thinking of the consequences he and Timmy ran out to confront the girls. Marcel followed them. However, he stayed directly behind them until he slid behind a bench.

"Hey!" Bryon shouted to get their attention as he and his friends came into the center of the area. The witches stood right at the railing of the pond. "We're not going to let you get away with hurting people."

Telulu laughed. "You look really tough in those pink bunny slippers. What is with the rest of your friends? Cute and cuddly forest animals in bright colors don't spell out threatening, but if you want a fight, I'll be glad to give you one." Before she could strike…

"Let me handle these cute kids," said Mimet. "You want to be fresh for our _real _battle." A yellow staff that housed a black star on its peak appeared in Mimet's hand. "Let's knock them out quick and easy. Charm Buster!"

Hollow black lack stars fired from the black star on the staff. The stars flowed freely and hit the challengers and people in the audience. When the stars struck them, vision became blurry, the feeling of severe vertigo disoriented them so much that their consciousness faded. Pain, of course, was involved in the spell. The teens before them withstood the power a little better and were actually standing, but they still couldn't move nor think straight. Since Marcel was not looking at the mirage-like stars or being struck by them, he wasn't affected. They were intentionally allowed to stay conscious because Mimet knew that Telulu wanted to have some fun with them.

Lita and Mina ran to their location, but their charge was heavily slowed by the people running away from the scene.

"Too many people!" Mina shouted above the screaming to Lita. "We can't transform in front of all of them."

"We need to keep going," Lita said. "Who knows what those crazy skanks are up to?"

"I can't see straight," Bryon yelled.

"My body feels like it's made of pudding," Timmy screamed. "Make it stop! Make it stop!"

"Bryon, I'm scared!" Emily screamed. She tried to grope her way through the disorientation to her boyfriend but failed and fell to the ground.

"It's my turn," Telulu said. "Mandragora Buster!" Numerous vines shot out from Telulu's wrists.

One vine struck each of the teens, except for Petunia, like a whip. Upon striking them, an electrical shock transferred from the vines into their bodies. Each one was on the ground in pain except for Petunia. The Charm Buster attack had worn off on her. She saw that her friends lay on the ground, groaning in pain.

"Please stop doing this," Petunia begged as tears came to her eyes. "We didn't hurt you. Why are you attacking us?"

"It's quite simple," Telulu said. "Our lord, the King of Evil, wants us to kill the Sailor Soldiers. To do that, we need to draw them out with some screaming. Care to help?" Another set of vines shot from her wrist.

Petunia just stood there with wide, tear shedding eyes, spellbound by the insanity of it all.

"Petunia!" Marcel shouted. He ran out from behind the bench and intercepted the vines. The vines wrapped around his body and around his neck. The electricity freely flowed from the vines onto him.

"Marcel!" Petunia screamed.

The vines loosened and retreated back to Telulu's wrist, and Marcel fell to the ground and lay there motionlessly. Petunia ran to Marcel's side. "Marcel! Marcel!" He didn't respond. She wept over him, her tears falling on his face.

Somehow, a beat of something came to Telulu's heart and Mimet's heart. They felt remorseful. For a second, they felt that they should not have done this. Seeing Petunia's pain ignited, very faintly, something in them that was kept extinguished by someone else.

Petunia searched for a pulse frantically. Luckily, she found one. Now that that heart gripping issue was dissolved, the two witches that caused it were still a few feet away from her.

"What do you know?" Telulu said. "I missed the OCD girl. This is for nearly plowing me into the ground earlier."

"You were that girl?" Petunia squeaked.

"It doesn't matter now," Telulu said, "because you're going to be out like a light. Mandragora Buster!" As the vines shot from her wrists at Petunia, a fork flew from out of nowhere without warning and struck her in the wrist, causing the vines to retreat back to Telulu before every touching Petunia. Telulu clutched her scratched wrist. "What was that?"

Telulu and Mimet scanned the crowd of unconscious spectators to see who was awake. They found one person on the second floor looking down at them. They couldn't make out if it was a Sailor Soldier or not. Next, the figure jumped of the banister and flew down in front of Mimet. It was Falco who had come to the rescue. Before Mimet could react, Falco sent a powerful kick into her stomach, knocking her through the glass railing and into the fish pond.

"Holy c***!" Telulu screeched. Falco's eyes darted towards her. Being better combat oriented than Mimet, Telulu reacted quickly. "Mandragora Buster!" The vines shot forth once again.

Falco pulled some kind of hexagonal device from his waist. When he activated it, a neon blue, hexagonal shield was summoned from his device. The vines struck the shield and were reflected back at Telulu, not by retracted to her wrist, but by whipping her instead. The electric shocks bedraggled her momentarily. She now saw Falco darting towards her. Still dazed by her own attack, she couldn't fight back. He sent two swift punches to her face and a kick to her chest, sending her flying through a bench. Mimet came up for air and saw that Falco had sent Telulu to the ground.

"You douche bag!" Mimet shouted. "Appear, Galla!"

A glowing black and red pentagram appeared in the center of the food court. From the glowing surface, a monster erupted into the dimension. It was a Galla, a type of demon. It was dinosaur-like in appearance, standing twice as tall as a human. Its scaly, leathery skin was crimson and black. Two, longhorn-like horns extended from the back of its head. Its muscular arms and legs looked human-esque. Its sharp, blood-stained, dagger-like teeth flashed with a glaze of drool. The Galla let out a might and horrifying roar, but Falco did not flinch. But in his mind the word "f***" repeated several times. The Galla charged with his mouth wide open ready to champ down on the bird.

"Galla, swallow him whole!" Mimet shouted.

Falco jumped out of the beast's path and kept his eyes right on it. The demon turned for another charge. Mimet had gotten out of the fish pond.

"Let's see you dodge when you can't see what you're dodging," Mimet said with her staff in her hand. "Charm Buster!" The black stars smacked Falco. He found himself dizzy, not knowing where he was. He could hear the beast's charging footsteps, but he couldn't figure out how to move his body.

"D***!" Falco whispered. He didn't know what to do.

Just then, Mina and Lita finally made it after running upstream of a stampede through an entire exhibition.

"Venus Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

Mina became Sailor Venus; Lita became Sailor Jupiter. The Galla was approaching Falco and was meters away until…

"Venus Love-Me Chain!"

The golden lasso flew through the air like a dazzling streamer of light. The lasso caught the Galla by looping into his mouth and the back of his head. When tightened, the lasso stopped it in its tracks. Sailor Venus held the chain firmly. The Galla squirmed to escape the bind and tried using its arms to rip the chain off but failed.

"Mimet!" Sailor Venus shouted. "You have no right going after innocent people and cute celebrities. I, Sailor Venus, shall have a divine punishment of love fall upon you."

"Same for you, Telulu," Jupiter said. "I, Sailor Jupiter, will make you pay in the name of the planet Jupiter."

"Sheesh!" Telulu sighed. "You girls love your speeches don't you." She had risen from the wrecked bench. "You're just in time for the party, and you're the guests of honor. You may have killed us before, but we're sturdier now."

"If I remember correctly," Sailor Jupiter said in a know-it-all tone, "_you_ killed Mimet."

"Water under the bridge," Mimet said.

"How the hell can that be water under the bridge?" Venus scoffed.

"Shut up!" Mimet whined has she shot stars at the two of them.

The two Soldiers flew out of the way. Sailor Venus's chain was dissolved, and the Galla was free. By now Falco was back to normal and went over to Petunia, who was slowly beginning to carry her friends to safety. Sailor Jupiter went to confront Telulu and the Galla while Sailor Venus attacked Mimet. Sailor Venus used her love chain to whip Mimet's staff out of her hands. She then commenced to punch the witch. Mimet dodged, quite awkwardly. The Galla had its sights on Jupiter. It charged her ready to bite.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

Sailor Jupiter launched an orb of lightning from her hand that went right into the Galla's mouth and tore through its body before ripping out through its tail. The destroyed demon dissolved from into nothing.

"It's just you and me now," Sailor Jupiter said, getting into battle stance.

"It should be fair to warn you that I'm the combat specialist of the Witches 5," Telulu said, she too in a stance. She signaled Sailor Jupiter to commence.

Sailor Jupiter sprinted forward. Telulu sidestepped her punches with swift movements. One punch grazed Telulu's cheek. She disappeared in swirl of black smoke and reappeared standing on the surface of the water in the center of the fish pond. She then flung a wave of large, tree branch-like vines at Jupiter. The vines struck into the ground with thunderous noise. The vines were sparkling with electric charges. Jupiter managed to dodge all the vines and charged Telulu. She skated across the surface of the water with a punch ready. When the fist came down, Telulu grabbed it. Then, with her other hand Sailor Jupiter charged up an electric punch and Telulu did the same. When their fists collided, the shockwave sent both girls flying away from each another. The water rippled so fiercely that the water smashed through the glass barriers. While Sailor Jupiter stabilized in midair after the collision, Telulu went back first into the waterfall fixture and fell into the water.

"Crescent Beam!"

Sailor Venus shot the yellow laser and nailed Mimet in the chest sending her into the fish pond once again. When she immerged, Telulu emerged as well.

"Looks like you lose," Sailor Jupiter said.

"We'll be back!" Mimet whined as she and Telulu vanished in black energy.

Byron and his friends were fine and beginning to regain consciousness. Falco, who had been watching the whole fight, stared at the Sailor Soldiers. The two girls jumped over the balcony to the second floor and vanished.

Meanwhile, Serena and Darien and Link and Zoey were on their way to the food court.

"I want something sweet," Serena chimed happily, clutching Darien's arm like a lifesaver, "maybe some ice cream or pudding. Chocolate, definitely chocolate. I'm totally in a chocolate mood." She gasped upon realizing something. "We're at a convention. We need funnel cake!"

"I will have whatever you have," Darien said.

"Oh, I love you so much!" Serena said, jumping happily.

"Serena, look!" Zoey gasped with delight. She pointed at something.

Serena saw that she was pointing to a jewelry store.

"Jewelry!" Serena and Zoey said dreamily. The two of them skipped off to look at valuable gems to their hearts' delight while Darien and Link were left in their dust.

"How she can go from craving funnel cake to diamonds I do not know," Link said.

"She has always been spontaneous," Darien said. "By the way, are you getting any nerves?"

"I do feel something evil in this city," Link said. "I can't tell if it is Ganondorf or not, but he is the prime suspect. I really don't want it to be him."

"I didn't mean that," Darien said. "Your wedding is getting closer and closer. You most be getting nervous."

"To be honest, I don't feel nervous about it at all," Link said. His eyes glistened with a beautiful gleam. "I'm counting the days. I want them to pass faster. I love Zoey. She is the woman I want as my wife and the mother of my children. Why should I be afraid of a wedding to the woman I love?"

"I know exactly what you mean," Darien said. "The same happened to me on my wedding. Serena and Zoey could be a while. You know those two."

Link looked around for something remotely interesting to him. His eye was finally caught by shop that was showcasing practical knives for wilderness environments.

"They really know how to work the metal," Link said as he looked into a display case with bowie knives.

"I'm not much of a knife person," Darien said.

"You use a sword though."

"I know but that's different."

As it turned out, Fox was looking through the same shop. Neither Darien nor Link had ever seen him, not even in a picture, so they did not go over to him and engage him in conversation on account of his popularity. However, Fox and Link did see opportunity to communicate when they bumped into each.

"Sorry about that," Link said.

"I guess," Fox said nonchalantly, who was paying more attention to the knives.

Link looked to see which one he was looking at in particular. Coincidently, Fox was looking at a Hyrulian short sword. "I didn't know people from this world went to Hyrule."

"Hyrule?" Fox said. "What makes you bring that place up?"

"That sword is a Hyrulian design," Link answered. "I should know since was born there."

"You know your blades," Fox said. He put out his hand. "The name is Fox."

Link answered the handshake request. "I'm Link, and this my friend Darien."

"Pleased to meet you," Darien said.

"What brings a Hylian this far from Planet Hylia?" Fox asked.

"My fiancé and her friends' work brought me here, and I decided to tag along for fun."

"Fiancé?" Fox repeated. The word sounded foreign to him. "I don't see myself ever getting tied down. I go my own way without any anchors keeping me still."

"I don't think it's like that at all," Link said, taking slight offence to Fox's comment. "Someone like a wife isn't dead weight at all. When you have someone that is precious to you, you feel a greater strength than before when you were alone."

"I take it that you're pretty wiped," Fox scoffed.

Link was starting to get steamed.

"Let's talk about something else," Darien interrupted, taking into account that they were still in a knife store. "Some food would calm things down."

Meanwhile, Serena and Zoey gazed wide-eyed at the splendid gems. Necklaces, bracelets, rings: all were so glamorous and divine. The gleam of the display case lights that reflected off the magnificent stones bedazzled all who gaze upon them.

"They're so pretty," Serena gasped. "I want one." She then became crestfallen. "Too bad, we're not allowed go crazy and buy unreasonable amounts of stuff."

"It's for our own good, Serena," Zoey said. "Even though we're high up in an inter-dimensional jet setting company that fights evil, we are not supposed go extraordinarily above our needs. It's a good lesson."

"I want jewelry," Serena whined.

It was then that Serena saw Krystal in the store. She was looking at a display of engagement rings. Above the display a label read, "Show her that you love her." She seemed to be in a daydream.

"Hi!" Serena chirped.

Krystal broke out of her daydream to find Serena beaming.

"Hello…" Krystal said, feeling awkward from Serena's dreamy stare

"Remember us?" Serena said.

"Not really."

"You saved our lives yesterday."

"Oh, you were on that ship."

"Yes, I'm Zoey Yuki."

"And I'm Serena Tsukino, and you're Krystal of Star Fox. It's great to get to see you in person. Thank you so much for saving us."

"It's what I do," Krystal answered coolly.

Serena noticed that she was looking at engagement rings. "Ooo! Someone is picking out her engagement ring." She giggled.

Krystal blushed. "It isn't that," Krystal said frantically.

"Don't mind her," Zoey said to Krystal. "She gets excited easily. It's fine to look at engagement rings for fun. I did it all the time before my fiancé proposed to me."

"So you two both have a man?" Krystal asked.

"That's right," Serena said. "I'm happily married to a handsome, sweet, smart guy. How about you? Do you have someone special?"

"Well…" Krystal trailed off into a thought. "I kind of do, but I don't know if he is into commitment."

"Does he know how you feel?" Zoey asked.

"No," Krystal said. "His work keeps him too busy for something like a real relation."

"Do you really care about him?" Serena asked.

"I really do," Krystal then realized she was talking to almost complete strangers, yet somehow she felt so relieved to actually tell someone about her feelings. She never could speak to any of her teammates about her feelings for Fox, and she didn't have any other interaction to help break her silence. "I don't want to continue talking about this."

"Sorry to have hit you with those questions," Zoey said. "We didn't mean to upset you."

"It is all right," Krystal said. "It's nice to talk with you girls. Would you like to go get something to eat at the food court?"

"Sweet!" Serena cheered.

The three of them went to the food at the same time Link, Darien, and Fox left for the food court. The food court was basically like any food court at any mall on Earth. There were many tables and chairs of bright and popping colors and restaurants selling just about every food found under the sun. The ceiling was high and made of geometric patterns of white metal and skyline glass.

"We'll pick out a seat," Zoey said to Krystal.

"All right," Krystal said. "I should look around at the different choices. You won't believe how picky I can be."

"I'm nothing like that," Serena said. "I'll eat anything, except carrots."

Darien and Link spotted the two girls.

"I see my wife," Darien said to Fox. "I think she would be really happy to meet you."

"I really don't want to deal with the fan thing right now," Fox said. "Falco told me that my fan club is here somewhere, and they can get pretty annoying."

"All right," said Link. "It was nice meeting you."

Fox took his leave of them, and Link and Darien went to their lovers.

"How was the jewelry store?" Darien asked the girls.

"Darien, do you love me?" Serena asked sweetly with the tone of an alternative motive.

"What ever it is, I'm not buying it," Darien said flat out.

"You're so mean," Serena whined.

"In other words, we enjoyed the jewelry store," Zoey said. "What did you two end up doing?"

"Nothing really," Link said. "You wouldn't believe who we met."

"Really?" Zoey said with intrigue. "Serena and I met someone really interesting too. While in the jewelry school, we met up with Krystal from Star Fox. Who did you meet?"

"That's a real coincidence because we saw Fox McCloud."

"You saw who?" Serena shot up in interest.

Link was startled by her sudden eagerness. "Fox McCloud."

"Oh my god!" Serena squealed. "Fox McCloud, the leader of Star Fox, is really here. I'd love to meet him. We should ask Krystal to introduce him to us." Serena then went silent. Then she hung on Zoey's shoulder. "Remember what she said earlier? She said that there is a guy she likes. I think that guy is Fox."

"You think so?" Zoey asked.

"She's going to have trouble with that," said Darien. "He told us that he can't stand the idea of being tied down."

"Krystal said that her guy doesn't seem like the commitment type," Serena said. "I can hook them up. Matchmaker Serena is back."

"Serena, do you remember the last few times you tried this," Darien said. "Didn't that time you tried to match up Wolverine and Zatanna teach you a lesson?"

"Practice makes perfect," Serena said. She saw that Fox and Krystal were both coming to their table.

"Serena, Zoey, this is Fox McCloud," Krystal introduced Fox to them.

"Hi there!" Serena said with a zealous handshake. "I have heard so much about you. Come on and sit with us."

"I don't really want to," Fox said as Serena brought nudged the two into chairs.

"Come on we'll have a good time. I'll get us some food." Serena ran off into the lines of people in front of the restaurant stands.

_You can be so pushy, Serena_, Zoey thought. Now Fox and Krystal were there and uncomfortable. She had to do something to break the ice. "So you two are mercenaries. What is that like?"

"It's simple really," Fox said. "We get a contract. We go out and do whatever it says. Someone tries to stop us. We kill them. We come back and get paid for a mission well done. We're the best."

"That sound fascinating," Zoey said with manufactured enthusiasm.

Just then, Serena came back with trays of food. "I got a pizza for me and Darien and Link and Zoey. And for Fox and Krystal, I got you chocolate covered strawberries." She slid the plate in front of them.

"Thanks," Krystal said, confused by the choice.

When Serena sat down, Zoey pulled her close. "You are being way to obvious," Zoey whispered. "Chocolate covered strawberries? Are you kidding? That's the "sex in a bathtub with rose petals" food."

"Don't worry, Zoey," Serena said. "I have plan. So, Fox, have you ever thought of marriage?"

Fox, who had just eaten one of the strawberries, nearly choked upon hearing the question. Krystal was stunned too.

"I can see what you are trying to do," Fox said after he finally got the strawberry down. "I don't need a commitment. I'm a warrior, not a kept man!" In a huff, he got up from the table and stormed off.

"I wasn't subtle, was I?" Serena asked.

"You could have only been less subtle if you painted a banner saying, "Marry Krystal," Darien said.

Krystal was looking down at her plate of strawberries. She did not even try to look at the four other people at the table. She felt humiliated, heartbroken.

"Krystal, I'm so sorry," Serena said with genuine sorrow. "I didn't mean to frighten him."

"It is fine," Krystal said, holding back the tears. "I knew long ago that Fox wasn't the marriage type. Why try to change him? It would only make him anger. Thank you for trying. We should do something again sometime." She got up and left.

"This is just horrible," Serena said. "How could this possibly get worse?"

"Serena Tsukino!" a hoarse voice boomed behind her. Everyone spun around, even Krystal, to see who it was.

To Zoey, Link, Darien, and Serena's misfortune, the hoarse voice belonged to a Dremora, a humanoid-type demon. He stood over them with his red eyes darting down onto Serena. With crimson skin, black hair, two horns on his head, and dull red, spiky, armor, he was truly frightening.

Serena looked up at him and sighed. "Well, f***," She then proceeded to sliding out of the way of his war hammer, which smashed right through the table. The bystanders ran screaming for safety.

Link and Zoey joined hands and ran away from the table just to meet a Dremora mage with a staff pointing at them. "Time to die, heroes!" A fireball shot from the tip of the staff. Link and Zoey duck down to the floor and rolled in separate directions. A third Dremora encountered Darien. Darien jumped out of the way of his mace. The fireball that missed Zoey and Link hit a pillar and scattered dust between Darien and the Dremora. Zoey and Serena met up in a small corridor that led to the bathrooms.

"We need to transform," Zoey said urgently.

"Got it," Serena said, pulling her Crisis Moon Compact out of her pocket. "Moon Crisis, Make-Up!" Serena became Sailor Moon.

"Saturn Crystal Power, Make-Up!" Zoey became Sailor Saturn with her scythe, Silence Glaive, in hand.

Link was still jumping at of the way of the Dremora mage's fireballs. Until…

"Death Reborn Revolution!"

A large orb of purple energy came screaming forth and struck the Dremora mage, incarnating him.

"Who did that?" Krystal gasped.

"Hold it right there!" Sailor Moon said, grabbing their attention. "Evil creatures that come to conventions and ruin food courts before a girl can eat the pizza she purchased don't deserve any mercy. For Love and Justice, I'm a pretty soldier in a sailor suit. I'm Sailor Moon."

"Likewise, I'm Sailor Saturn."

"And in the name of the moon, I shall punish you."

"Sailor Moon," the Dremora with war hammer said. "My master wants you dead!" He shot a bolt of lightning from his hand.

Sailor Moon awkwardly dodged it. Sailor Saturn went after the mace-wielding Dremora. The Dremora came at her with this mace, which Saturn easily blocked with her Silence Glaive. They soon came to a parry.

"Who are you working for?" Sailor Saturn demanded.

"None of you business, mortal," the Dremora answered. He saw that Krystal was right behind Sailor Saturn. "I do need practice with a shield." He broke from the parry, stepped to the side and went after Krystal. Krystal, completely paralyzed by seeing actual demons, didn't move.

"Krystal!" Saturn shouted.

Just before the Dremora laid a finger on her, he was caught by something. Fox had sprinted forth from the shadows with a knife in hand and came up right behind the Dremora and put him in a hold.

"Don't you _dare _touch her!" Fox whispered angrily before slitting the Dremora's throat. Krystal skid out of the way of the dark burgundy blood. The Dremora's corpse fell to the floor and withered away into nothing.

"Fox, thank you," Krystal said. She felt a huge joy suddenly explode in her. It was a feeling so powerful that it drove her to hug Fox for saving her.

Fox was a bit startled by the hug but let it continue. At that moment, he too felt jovial just to be with her.

The last Dremora tried to smash his hammer down on Sailor Moon, but he was only able to smash several tables, chairs, and other things.

"You don't have to be so brash!" Sailor Moon whined, still running out of his way.

"Why won't you die?" the Dremora shouted.

The Dremora's chase was ended when a red rose struck the ground before him. Sailor Moon saw that Tuxedo Mask had through the rose.

"Real men don't chase after taken women," Tuxedo Mask said. "Now, Sailor Moon."

"Right!" said Sailor Moon. Her Cutie Moon Rod came into her hand. "Moon Princess Halation!" From the tip of the pretty wand, a glittering crescent-shaped energy blast shot forth.

The attack struck the Dremora, and he wailed in anguished. "Cleansing!" Soon his body dissolved into dust.

"That's it for them," Sailor Saturn said.

"Score up another victory for the Sailor Soldiers!" Sailor Moon said triumphantly.

Fox and Krystal looked at her. Sailor Moon looked just a like all the pictures and cartoons: blonde, beautiful, ditzy, and super powered.

"Are you two all right," Sailor Saturn asked Fox and Krytal.

"We're fine," Krystal said.

"That was a pretty kick a** maneuver you did back there, Fox," Saturn said.

"I'm not just good at flight combat, lady," Fox said confidently.

"I suppose it was too much expecting only Dremora to take care of you, Sailor Moon," said a girl's voice.

"What now?" Sailor Saturn said impatiently.

Cyprin appeared in the center of the food court in a swirl of black energy.

"Cyprin?" Sailor Moon exclaimed in shock.

"Should I know her?" Sailor Saturn asked.

"How rude of me?" Cyprin said to Saturn. "I died before we could ever meet. My name is Cyprin, the greatest witch of the Witches 5."

"The who?" Sailor Saturn said.

"I just told you. I died in battle against the Sailor Soldiers doing that whole Messiah of Silence hot mess. It was before you became the new Sailor Saturn. I have been brought back to life to serve my lord, the King of Evil, Ganondorf!"

"I knew that p**** was behind this," Sailor Saturn exclaimed. "You better be careful, little girl. Ganondorf is a monster."

"Whatever," Cyprin scoffed. "All I know is that the Sailors are on his hit list, so he is fine with me and my girls. You, in particular, are at the top of that list. He sent Star Wolf to assassinate you, but they couldn't take you girls. So he asked us."

"I'm just going to have to snap you to your senses." Sailor Saturn prepared for another attack. "Death Reborn Revolution!" She threw a purple orb of energy at the young witch. Cyprin flew straight up into the air and dodged it. Sailor Saturn came up into the air to meet her, but before she could go forward, she was knocked to the ground a by a red blast of energy. "What the hell?"

"I think you startle her, Petirol," Cyprin said.

The person that had hit Sailor Saturn was an exact duplicate of Cyprin, except this girl had a red color scheme, and her side braid was on the opposite side of Cyprin's. The two girls came together in the air and held hands. Each girl carried a golden staff identical to the one Mimet used.

"I'm Cyprin."

"I'm Petirol," the red one said.

"We're two halves of the same person. For our lord, you shall die." They brought the tips of their staves together. In unison they called out their next attack. "Ribbon Buster!" From the touching black stars came intertwined blasts of blue and red energy that came after the downed Sailor Saturn. Link was just in time to push her out of the way of the attack. The attack hit the floor with an explosion that kicked dust up throughout the whole food court.

"Where did they go?" Sailor Moon said.

"Let this be a warning to you girls," Cyprin said through the dust and smoke. "Ganondorf will rise to power on this world and rule it. And soon, Hyrule will once again be his."

When the dust cleared, Cyprin and Petirol were no where to be found. Fox and Krystal had heard the whole conversation.

"At least we finally know who hired Star Wolf," Sailor Moon said.

"We'd better tell the other girls about this," Sailor Saturn said.

Tuxedo Mask and Link had vanished when dust obscured the food court earlier. Now Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn made their exit.

"Ganondorf?" Fox repeated. "Have you ever heard that name?"

"Never," said Krystal. "I'm more curious about that girl. She was the one who summoned those demons. She said she was part of the Witches 5, so that means there are four others like her."

"Looks like our vacation is going to have to wait," Fox joked.

Meanwhile, Amara, Michelle, and Trista were in the exhibition hall for the newest automotive vehicles. The cars there were sleek and sporty. Most were marvels of engineering and driving. However, the three women were not enjoying themselves, for they could feel that something evil was in that exhibition hall. Their inclinations finally became truth when droves of people began screaming and running from the hall. Three, ten foot-tall, pink-skinned humanoid demons came into the girls view. The demon's had thin bodies and heads resembling skulls.

"They didn't waste any time popping up," Amara said. "Uranus Crystal Power, Make-Up!" Amara became Sailor Uranus.

"Neptune Crystal Power, Make-Up!" Michelle transformed into Sailor Neptune.

"Pluto Crystal Power, Make-Up!" Trista transformed into Sailor Pluto. Her purple staff, the Garnet Rod, was in hand.

The three Sailor Soldiers stood before the demons without hesitation.

"How lucky," said Sailor Uranus, "we each get one."

"You three never change," said a woman's voice. From a black swirl of darkness, Kaorinite, the sorceress of darkness whose constant use of duplicates never made her deaths certain, stepped forth.

"Kaorinite," Sailor Neptune said, "it has been a while since we sent you to prison. What brings you to be a thorn in our sides this time?"

"I'm working to bring my lord, Ganondorf, to power," Kaorinite said.

"What?" Sailor Pluto said in shock. "You're the one who resurrected him, aren't you?"

"You guessed right," Kaorinite said. She laughed loudly. "You know me. I can't help falling for men with great ambition and power."

"That's for sure," Uranus said sarcastically. "That time with Professor Tomoe must have been fantastic."

"Shut up! With Ganondorf's help, I can finally be rid of you Sailor Soldiers. His raise on this magic-vulnerable planet will be grand."

"You know we'll stop you," said Uranus.

"Try to," Kaorinite smiled.

"World Shaking!"

Sailor Uranus fired a large orb of yellow energy right for Kaorinite. Unfortunately, one of the pink demons stepped in the way and took the blast and exploded.

"Deep Submerge!"

Sailor Neptune shot off a blue orb of energy and destroyed the second demon.

"Dead Scream!"

With an orb of purple energy, the third was destroyed.

"Excellent work, ladies," Kaorinite said as she clapped. "I expected no better from you. You will fail in stopping us. We will rule this world and more worlds." As she spoke, she began vanishing into darkness and was soon completely gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

Something Star Fox can't hack?

Disaster Strikes the Army

The defeated Witches 5 walked with lowered heads to the doors of the cathedral. The members of Star Wolf had been called to meet with Ganondorf and Kaorinite.

"How did it go?" Panther asked the witches.

"I don't want to do it again," said Cyprin, crestfallen, "none of us do."

"I thought you girls liked causing mayhem," Leon said. "You made such a declaration earlier."

"That was then," said Mimet. "We died once because of this same bull s***. We don't want to spend our second chance at life by doing the stuff that ruined our first lives."

"Why don't you just leave?" said Wolf.

"We can't do that," Byruit said sadly. "Ganondorf has tied us to him. We have no thought that can't be altered by him."

The huge doors to the cathedral opened. The tall, ominous, foreboding man that could chill a heart at sight stood before them. His eyes, in the vermillion glow, pieced through the shadows of the desecrated grounds. The velvet cape draped over his shoulders and flowed to the floor. No warm radiated from beneath his grey skin.

"Witches 5," Ganondorf said in a low voice. "You have failed too to destroy the Sailor Soldiers. It seems your powers are not enough."

"We tried," said Eugeal, "but we didn't know how much better they had gotten." She put her hand over her eyes. "We can't do this again."

Ganondorf viewed the lightly weeping girls with a statue's face. He simply, slowly waved his arm in front of the girls. "You will continue. Star Wolf shall help you in the next phase of my plan."

The witches stopped their tears on a dime as though they had been acting. Wolf, Leon, Panther, and Andrew were shocked by the sudden mood change forcefully brought on by their master.

"Star Wolf, Witches 5," Ganondorf commanded. "You shall go out into the capitol city of Corneria and spread my name and influence to its people."

"Yes, my lord," the witches said in unison with perfectly synched bows.

After the events at the convention, the Star Fox Team mobilized at the headquarters of the Cornerian Army. They along with Peppy and Beltino Toad viewed the security tapes of the battles.

"What do you make of this, Krystal," Peppy asked. "You're expertise is in the mystical arts, and clearly, these girls, these Witches 5, use magical powers."

"Sir, I have not seen such sorcery like this outside of ancient texts on Sauria," Krystal said. "The Witches 5 demonstrated destructive spells, alteration, and conjuration. Not only that, but they were very advanced magics."

Peppy directed his eyes to a screen that caught a freeze frame of Sailor Moon. "What can you tell us about these Sailor Soldiers?"

"Whoever they are," Slippy began, "they know those girls and about the monsters they summoned and about their leader."

"Who is their leader?" Peppy asked.

"The witch Cyprin," Fox began, "said his name was Ganondorf. Slippy looked up the name and found it all over Hyrulian history. The freaky thing is that his name went back a hundred years."

"You don't think it's all the same guy, do you?" Falco said.

"If that were true, he would be a century old," Beltino said. "That is impossible and even more so for such a primitive world like Hyrule."

"Whoever this guy is we can take him down," Fox said confidently. He leaned back in his chair. "We'll have him behind bars or died."

"You seem confident in yourself," Amara said, who had arrived in the room with Michelle.

"What are you doing here?" Falco demanded. "This is a top secret place."

"We were invited to this gathering, Mr. Lombardi," Michelle said. She looked at all the faces staring at them.

"You now know that this Ganondorf person is behind the assassination attempts," Peppy said to the two women. "What do you and the rest of your friends plan on doing?"

"We are going to stay on this world," Michelle said. "They're after us, and we're sure they are on this world too. If we want to stop them, we have to keep them in one spot. As for confronting them, we have left it in the hands of Sailor Soldiers."

"I shall lend you Star Fox as assistance," Peppy said.

"You are?" Fox spat.

"That won't be necessary," Amara said plainly.

"Why is that?" Peppy questioned. "They are quite capable."

"They can't deal with this kind of enemy," Michelle said.

"We so can," Fox said earnestly. "Those girls that work for him don't seem that tough, and Star Wolf is a joke. I doubt Ganondorf is a too much for us to handle."  
Amara fixated on Fox. "You don't know what you are talking about. Ganondorf is unlike any villain you have ever faced. For your sake, you better hope you never cross paths with him. We shall take our leave." She and Michelle walked out of the room in a calm pace.

Fox was beside himself. '"You better hope you never cross paths with him.'" Fox repeated. He scoffed. "I can't believe the way she talks to us. We can stop this guy and show them that Star Fox is the best team out there. We're definitely better than the Sailor Soldiers."

"Fox, understand what you are doing," Peppy said. "You are not hired on any mission by the Cornerian Army, so I can't stop you from any freelance work. I still want you to be careful."

"Don't worry," Fox said confidently. "You know me and my team. We're great at what we do."

"I wish you luck in your work," Peppy said. "You know what your father always said, Fox. 'Trust you instincts.'"

Star Fox departed from the Cornerian Army headquarters and went home. None of them spoke, partially due to Fox's attitude and anger towards Amara and Michelle. They didn't eat but rather retreated to their rooms to commence in any daily ritual. Krystal, however, still felt very disturbed by what she found out about Ganondorf. Fox actually believed this man to be nothing but a thug. She was amazed by his gusto and unbelievable pride.

_Fox, you love battle_, Krystal thought, _but please learn that it isn't everything. Right now, learn to pick your battles. I don't know anything about the magic we will face. Magic can trump instincts. Just leave it to the Sailor Soldiers, who know what they are doing. Why does it always come to pride with you?_ Krystal threw herself onto her bed. _I wish you'd chill out. I wish you would think about others… Think about me._

Meanwhile, Peppy was working late reviewing the positions of armed soldiers and police around the capitol for preparation for another assault by Ganondorf. There was a sudden knock on the door. He shivered. He hadn't made any appointments after his talk with Star Fox. His knowledge of the buildings tight security erased any fears of an assault, so he commenced his work on his computer.

"Come in," Peppy said as he stared at the screen ignoring the door.

The door opened and someone stepped forward towards the desk.

"Good evening, General Peppy Hare," Cyprin said.

Peppy looked up and nearly had a heart attack. "You are one of those witches, aren't you?" Peppy stammered, his heart pumping the blood through those aged arteries quickly.

"You do keep up with recent events, old timer," Cyprin laughed.

"How did you get passed my security?" Peppy asked frantically.

"You should calm down, old timer," Cyprin said. "We wouldn't want you busting a blood vessel."

Peppy grabbed his phone. "Security! Security!" he shouted into the receiver. "There is an intruder in my office. Hello?" There was no one on the other end.

"It's rude to talk on the phone with someone while you are talking to someone in person," Cyprin said. She was now sitting up on the desk with her legs crossed. She leaned on her right arm. Her staff appeared in her left hand. She brought the staff's tip inches from Peppy's face. "I have a proposition for you that you won't decline." A black energy surged in the black star of the staff and slowly flooded forth like toothpaste from a tube.

The black energy fell upon Peppy and began seeping into his body. He tried to scream, but the spell had taken hold.

The next day Peppy's daughter, Lucy Hare, arrived on Corneria from Fichina. She had taken a break from her job teaching astrophysics to visit her father. Ever since her mother, Vivian Hare, died when she was young, Lucy quested to spend more time with her father. Unfortunately, he was a member of Star Fox for quite a long time, dashing her chances to spend time with him. Now that he has retired from Star Fox and taken a stationary job as the commander of the Cornerian Army, she could visit him whenever she wants to do so. Her personality is one of kindness and opposition to war, often leading her to have disgust for the past antics of the Cornerian Army. Physically, she was dainty as well. Her fur was a lavender color.

Lucy stepped out of the taxi cab in front of the Cornerian Army headquarters. The sun was particularly smoldering that day. She had a sun hat for the occasion. Being the daughter of the man in charge, her face was well known by the guards, so access to her father's office was simple for her. Today, however, there was a snag.

"I am sorry, miss," a guard said. "General Hare is not seeing anyone for a while. All appointments have been cancelled, and he has taken temporary residence on the acreage to be near in case of further crisis."

"But he has made plans," Lucy said.

"Please leave, miss," the guard said. "The general has been working all night. He is a busy man."

Lucy was suspicious of the story she was told. She knew Peppy and did not believe that he would break plans with her for work unless there was an actual war going on at the time. The only option now was to go back to her hotel and see if Fox and Slippy were busy.

"So this is the headquarters for the Cornerian Army?" Serena asked.

Serena, Amy, Rei, Lita, and Mina arrived in two cabs shortly after Lucy exited the building.

"It does give off a commanding presence," Lita said. "They sure do like to show off their emblem."

"Michelle and Amara said that they were asked to leave last night by the soldiers," Mina explained. "Apparently, it was a command from General Hare. They were told that he had labeled what has happened as means for a crisis mode."

"Wasn't he a member of Star Fox?" Lita asked.

"He was," Lucy said. "Hello, my name is Lucy Hare. I am the daughter of Peppy Hare, the general."

"Hi!" Serena said happily. "It is nice to meet you. I'm Serena Tsukino, and these are my friends: Amy, Rei, Lita, and Mina."

Pleasantries were exchanged, and the explanation to who they were was given.

"Do you girls happen to know what had happened recently?" Lucy asked. "I just arrived this morning from Fichina."

"There were several attacks at the Gadget Convention," Amy said. "The incident was taken care of without any loss. It wasn't a big disaster in anyway."

"It was taken care of by the Sailor Soldiers," Serena chimed.

"Sailor Soldiers?" Lucy repeated. "Who are they?"

Serena happily gave her the story of the Sailor Soldiers with an inflated description of Sailor Moon. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of them. So your dad is the general? What is that like?"

"It's fine," Lucy said. "I see him much more often than when he worked for Star Fox. I had plans with him, but he cancelled at the last minute. It is very unlike him. The guard told me he worked all night. He never pulls all-nighters. I'm a little worried about him."

"We hope he feels better soon," Mina said.

"Thank you," Lucy said. "If any of you want to split a cab, I'm going back into town."

"We will stay here," Rei said.

"We will?" Serena said, confused.

"Yes," Rei said. She went close to Serena and whispered, "Remember what Michelle said? There might be something up with General Hare."

The girls went their separate ways. The Sailor Soldiers worked their way into an ally between two barracks buildings.

"Did you bring the Disguise Pen?" Amy asked.

"I think I do," Serena said as she dug through her purse. "Got it!" She pulled out the pink pen. "Moon Power, turn us into strong and cool Cornerian soldiers!" Golden stars sprouted from the pen like water from a fountain and swirled around the girls. When the stars vanished, Rei, Amy, Mina, Lita, and Serena were revealed in Cornerian Army uniforms.

"We should split up and eavesdrop on conversations," Amy said. "Kaorinite is behind everything. She released Ganondorf from his seal. You all know who must be with her: Asajj Ventress and Mystique."

"Ventress and Mystique?" exclaimed Lita. "I can't stand those women."

"I'm going along with you, Amy," Serena chirped. "I don't want to be alone."

"It's a good idea," Rei said sarcastically. "We all know how _well _you do undercover, Serena."

"Whatever, Rei," Serena sighed.

"We should be careful," said Rei. "I have been picking up some bad vibes from this place."

The girls went their separate ways. Serena and Amy decided to scout out the officers' offices. When they walked by the guards, the guards simply saluted and let them pass.

"General Hare's office is supposed to be on the top floor," Amy said. "We should take the service to stairs to keep away from suspicious."

"Really?" Serena whined. "What is so suspicious about the elevators?"

Amy pointed to the elevators near them. There were two guards on each side of the doors. "I'm willing to bet that there are guards stationed at each floor. They would definitely ask us what we were doing."

"Fine," Serena heaved.

To their extreme displeasure, the top floor was the thirty-ninth floor. After thirty-nine flights of stairs, Serena was panting and making slow, exhausted steps.

"On the way down," Serena said in intervals interrupted by breaths, "I'm transforming and flying out of a window."

As Amy suspected, there were guards outside the elevators. Two, rifle-carrying guards stood outside the door to Peppy's office. Amy pulled out a gadget called the Earring Microphone Communicator. It worked as a communicator devise as well an amplifier of sounds around her. With it should could here, barely, Peppy's speech from her position against the wall out of the guards' few.

"Are the soldiers ready?" Cyprin asked.

"Yes, Cyprin," Peppy said. His voice was void of feeling and thought.

"Terrific," Cyprin said. "We'll be finishing up on our end. You have done well by choosing to serve Ganondorf. Tonight in the grand briefing hall the Cornerian Army will be brainwashed and forced to pledge their loyalty to the King of Evil." She laughed and then she vanished.

"It's worse they we thought," Amy said to Serena. "They've taken control of the general. We should tell the others right away." The other girls each had Earring Microphone Communicators. "Everyone, the Witches 5 have General Hare under their command."

"That's horrible," Rei gasped.

"They are going to brainwash the soldiers this evening at the main briefing hall. We have to stop it from happening."

"Understood," the girls responded. The communication link ended.

Unbeknownst to Amy and the other girls, their communication link had been hacked by Star Wolf. They were stationed in the base to monitor all communications coming from and to the base.

"It didn't take them long to find out that we were here," Wolf said to his teammates. "Can you track all of their locations, Andrew?"

"Easily," he responded.

"Good," Wolf snickered. "Send demons to give them a proper greeting."

Amy and Serena were on their way to the service staircase when blast doors closed off the section of the hall they were in, blocking off the staircase.

"They've found us out," Amy said urgently.

Two tall, pink demons materialized in the hallway. Luckily, their large bodies made them unable to charge in the cramped space. Serena saw that there was an open hall leading out of their section of the hall. She took Amy's hand, and they sprinted down the hallway. At the end of the hall, there was a large window that looked out onto the city. One of the demons rounded the corner and saw them. It fired a purple energy ball from its mouth at Amy and Serena. Amy saw it coming and thrust herself and Serena onto the ground. The energy ball missed them and destroyed the window.

"That's our way out," Serena said.

The two girls leapt out of the window and began free falling down the side of the building.

"Mercury Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Moon Crisis, Make-Up!"

Crystalline waters wrapped around Amy as she fell through the air while pink ribbons, spraying out vigorously from her brooch, engulfed Serena's body. The refulgent energies dissipated to give form to the two beautiful Sailor Soldiers. Their free fall ended, and they commenced in flying up back to the window. The two demons were stuck in the opening, giving Sailor Moon a clean shot at both of them with her Cutie Moon Rod.

"Moon Princess Halation!"

The crescent-shaped energy disc vaporized the demons.

"I told you that I wasn't taking those stairs again," Sailor Moon giggled.

"The others have been attacked too," Sailor Mercury said as she used the Earring Microphone Communicator. "They are all fine now."

"That's good news," Sailor Moon said with a sigh of relief. "Now we need to come back tonight and stop Cyprin."

Meanwhile, Lucy decided to go meet up with Star Fox. The cab driver took her to the dock were the Great Fox resided. One the way there she called ahead to tell them that she was dropping by to say hello and catch up on recent news. The team was in better spirits than the day before and greeted Lucy happily. She told them about how her father cancelled their plans.

"That's odd," Krystal said. "We have checked the recent events at the base. Many troops are mobilizing there, more than usual."

"Is there some kind of war going on?" asked Lucy.

"None," Slippy said with a shrug. "There have been several small incidents but nothing close to the scale of the troop movements. The transmissions from the base said that there is a huge event going on this evening. Whatever is going to happen, it's going to be broadcasted to all the army bases and outposts throughout the Lylat System."

"Bill Grey called and said he was coming down because he knew something was weird going on," said Fox. "We're going to meet up with him before the event and check out what the Old Man is up to."

"I want to go too," Lucy said earnestly.

"You should stay out of danger," Kystal said calmly.

"I had no idea he was doing something so big," said the increasing concerned Lucy. "I need to see my dad and talk to him."

"She maybe able to get something out of Peppy," said Falco. "We haven't had any luck calling him, so maybe it's a good idea to go there and crash this 'event'"

That night Star Fox along with Lucy drove to the Cornerian Army's headquarters. All the gates were manned and entry through them was null in void, so a more clandestine entrance was necessary. Slippy knew the schematics of the base and hidden entry ways. One of them was through a loading dock for the food centers. Security was always paltry and luckily tonight was no different. Slippy used his gadgets to hack the electronic locks. Krystal was by Lucy's side throughout the break in to make sure she didn't stumble or make too much noise. At last they had made it through security to the main building where the 'event' was going to take place. Bill Grey was there to meet them and help them further. He was able to get the guards to look away while they snuck into the building. They all reunited in the grand lobby, one door away from the grand hall. The lobby had an immense skyline that cut through all thirty-nine floors. At the rooms center was a statue of the founder of the Cornerian Army. The twelve foot-tall, marble anthropomorphic bulldog stood with stationary stone star ships portrayed to be whizzing round him.

"What do you think the Old Man is up to?" Falco asked Bill.

"I don't know," answered Bill, "but it's big. All the troops were told to watch the feed no matter where they were. It is absolutely mandatory."

You shouldn't be here," said Peppy. He had appeared through the doors to the grand hall. There was no life in his eyes nor was there movement in his face as he spoke. It was like he was a walking corpse.

"General Hare," Bill said urgently, "what is going on? You've been locked up in your office all day and night. You've ordered all the troops in the Lylat System to focus on some announcement. You need to explain yourself."

"I thought cats were the curious ones," Cyprin said as she walked through the doors with Wolf O'Donnell. "I didn't know you would be just a nuisance, Mr. McCloud. I should have killed you yesterday."

"I'm glad you didn't," said Wolf. "I want to be the one to sink a knife into his thoat."

"Daddy!" Lucy screamed frantically, nearly sobbing. "Get away from them!"

"He can't hear you," Cyprin said slyly. "He is a servant to the King of Evil, and soon every soldier in the Cornerian Army will be his loyal servant."

Leon poked his head through the door. "The transmission is scheduled to begin in five minutes." He retreated behind the without even looking at the enemy.

"I'd love to see you die," Wolf said in a low voice, "but we have an army to brainwash."

"Don't worry though," said Cyprin. "Peppy will keep you company."

Peppy slowly began to creep forward towards his former teammates.

"You expect an old man to fight six adults in their twenties," Falco bellowed in outrage. "How pathetic do you think we are?"

"Do you really want me to answer that, Mr. Lombardi?" Cyprin said with a laugh. "You will be fighting Peppy, but he is going to have an edge. Demon, awaken from inside Peppy Hare and serve of the Dark Lord! Go forth and kill for our lord. Awaken, demon!"

Peppy hunched over onto the ground and began screaming in agony. Lucy rushed to him but was caught by Bill. A black energy swirled around Peppy. His head rose sharply from the ground and into the air. His screams transformed into a roar as the darkness consumed his figure. The cyclone of evil power dispersed to reveal something that wasn't Peppy Hare. In the spot Peppy stood, a seven foot-tall, rabbit-like, feral beast dressed in a general's attire and holding a huge truncheon roared. The four mercenaries, the soldier, and the daughter of the beast were speechless and absolutely horrified. Lucy fainted and fell into Bill's arms.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Fox roared.

"We gave him a demon to fix the kinks in his old bones," Cyprin said nonchalantly.

"Don't act so f****** calm!" shouted Fox. He was shaking in both rage and fear. "You turned him into a monster. He was my friend. He…was like a father to me. And you…did…that!"

"I don't like shouting," Cyprin said calmly. "Peppy, kill them, but leave the fox for Wolf."

"Thanks," Wolf said with satisfaction and no sympathy for Fox.

He and Cyprin vanished behind the door, leaving the demoralized warriors to fight their friend.

"I command you to submit," Peppy bellowed. He slapped his truncheon in his hand. "I am your commanding officer." He charged forward with his truncheon raised. "Follow orders and die!"

The fighters jumped out of the way. The shockwave created by force of impact from the truncheon rattled the floor. Peppy looked to see which one he should kill first. His choice was Fox. Fox saw the beast leering at him and pulled his blaster from its holster. With one shot between the eyes, the madness would end, most likely. However, as his fingers began to grip the trigger back, the image of the real Peppy flashed before Fox's eyes, and he could not pull the trigger. All he did was stand there frozen with a gun ready to shoot. Peppy raised his truncheon into the air.

"Follow orders and die!"

"Moon Tiara Action!"

A refulgent, golden disc flew overhead from behind Fox and struck Peppy in the chest. Peppy stumbled back in pain. Everyone looked to see where the attack had come from. It originated from Sailor Moon. Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus were at her side.

"A good leader doesn't meaninglessly throw away the lives of his subordinates," Sailor Moon said. "For Love and Justice, I'm a pretty soldier in a sailor suit. I'm Sailor Moon."

"Sailor Team at you service," the others said in unison.

"And in the name of the moon, we'll punish you."

"Sailor Moon?" Fox gasped.

"Insubordination will not go unpunished!" Peppy roared, coming at the girls.

"I'll stop him in his tracks," said Sailor Jupiter. The antenna extended from her tiara. "Supreme Thunder!" Several bolts of lightning shot from her tiara and struck Peppy. Peppy clenched his body and then puffed his body out, expelling the electricity. He brought his truncheon up.

"Crescent Beam!" A gold beam of light shot out of Sailor Venus's index finger and struck Peppy's hand, knocking the truncheon from his grasp.

"I'll finish him off," said Sailor Moon with her Cutie Moon Rod in her hands.

"Don't kill him!" Lucy, now conscious, shrieked, "He is Peppy Hare. A witch turned him into a beast."

"Now it makes sense," Sailor Mars said.

Peppy picked his truncheon back up and turned his attention to Lucy and Bill.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Sailor Mercury knocked Peppy to the ground with the force of her water attack. "Sailor Moon, use the Moon Stick to turn him back to normal."

"Right," Sailor Moon agreed. She summoned the Moon Stick into her hand. "Moon Healing Escalation!"

Purifying Light shined from the wand and onto Peppy.

"Refresh!" Peppy screamed. His body began to glow. His now glowing body shattered, and his normal body lay on the floor.

Lucy rushed to his side and felt his pulse. Everything was quiet. She let out a sigh of relief. "He's alive."

Everyone felt immensely better. Fox looked back to thank the Sailor Soldiers, but when he looked back, he found that they were gone.

Meanwhile, Wolf took the podium on the stage in the grand hall. Hundreds of partially hypnotized soldiers stood before him. Thousands looked him through a screen.

"Soldiers of the Cornerian Army," Wolf boomed, "you are now in the service of another, the great Ganondorf Dragmire."

The enormous screen behind him began to swirl with hypnotic images. Then…

"World Shaking!"

A huge ball of yellow energy struck the screen, causing it to explode, ending the hypnosis. The already partially hypnotized people in the audience fell unconscious.

"What the heck?" Wolf yelled.

Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune were walking down the center aisle to the stage.

"Guided by a new era, Sailor Uranus acts with elegance."

"Also guided by a new era, Sailor Neptune acts with grace."

"D*** you, Sailor Soldiers!" Wolf shouted.

Cyprin, Panther, Leon, and Andrew watched from off stage.

"We won't let them get away with this," said Panther. He and his teammates had blaster rifles in their arms. They rushed on stage.

"Wait!" Cyprin warned. "You don't stand a chance against them."

Unfortunately, they didn't listen.

"This is where you die, Sailor Soldiers," said Leon as he and his friends took aim.

"Deep Submerge!" Sailor Neptune fired a ball of blue energy at the three men. They barely escaped the blast.

Cyprin rushed onto the stage. "Idiots, you don't have superpowers. It's time to retreat."

Before Uranus and Neptune could strike again, they disappeared in spirals of darkness.

"They got away again," Sailor Uranus lamented.

Peppy had regained consciousness. He found himself on the floor with his closest friend all around him.

"What happened?" he asked.

Fox explained everything to him. It was now that Fox realized that this was a different kind of enemy. However, he was still suspicious of the Sailor Soldiers motives. The announcement was cancelled, and Peppy's behavior was explained to the troops as being caused by stress.


	10. Chapter 10

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

Despair Howls

Nightmare in the Haunted Park

The next day, Tuesday, the bell rang at Happy Tree High School to signal the students to hustle to their classrooms for a lovely day of learning. The Happy Tree District of Corneria's Capital City was described by its unique combination of wealth and poverty. There was content in the district luckily, yet, like in every town, problems do spring up now and then especially since the rich were super rich and the poor were, well, super poor. Marcel was from the poor side of the tracks while the members of the Star Fox Fan Club were from the rich side. Petunia was the richest of her friends. Her father, Oliver Prescott, was an extremely successful stockbroker and highly ranked in Corneria's wealthy social class. Marcel was the son of a psychopath.

The morning slipped away from Marcel so quickly that he found himself in a sprint to his first class of the day. To his fortune, the teacher was busy looking at his computer and didn't notice Marcel's late entrance. This was one of the several classes he shared with the top members of the Star Fox Fan Club. To his misfortune, Bryon Jones sat directly behind him.

"Why are you late, Nutty?" Byron said mockingly. "Did you spill a bag of chocolates in the hallway and eat each one off the floor?"

"Piss off," Marcel snarled.

Petunia and Emily giggled when they say Maurice Marceau standing by the door frame. He was an anthropomorphic reindeer with purple fur. Though both of his parents were very successful doctors who lived next door to Petunia's mansion, he found a passion in mime, those pinning him with the nickname Mime. Petunia's parents and Maurice's parents go way back in history and often tried to match up Maurice and Petunia. Maurice may have been a mime, but he was very handsome and quite intelligent and surprisingly debonair, winning him approval by the girls and scorn from the boys. He consistently wore white face paint, a white and black long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and white slippers. He was quite infatuated with Petunia, which really ticked off Marcel. Maurice sketched a heart with his fingers and blew it towards Petunia. She giggled at the sweet gesture. Marcel glared at the mime scornfully.

"He is so cute," Emily whispered to Petunia.

"He kinda is," answered Petunia.

"What a freakin' freak!" laughed Byron.

Maurice was cool in the face of insult and let all words of ridicule roll of his back. His seat was right behind Marcel. Feeling angry, Marcel slid his foot right in front of Maurice's as he walked down the aisle, tripping him and triggering an orchestra of laughter. Marcel felt accomplishment until he saw that Petunia was the one who went over to check to see if he was all right. Then Marcel felt bitter once again.

"Class, simmer down," said the teacher, Donald Lumpy.

Donald Lumpy was a light blue, anthropomorphic moose with mismatched antlers. One pointed up while the other pointed down. His hair was like mess of tangled black wires. His regrettably plaid suit was of hideous shades of brown from the fabric and the numerous coffee stains while the shoes he wore were Birkenstock sandals. The buttons of his white shirt were skewed to wrong holes were just unused. The collar, however, was the only neat and tidy feature in the mess that was Mr. Lumpy. He was their homeroom teacher and, unbelievably, their English teacher. His voice was thick a hillbilly accent.

"Hey, Cuddles," Timmy tapped Byron on the shoulder. "Have you heard about the ghost that haunts Happy Tree Park?"

"You know I have," Bryon smirked.

"What do you mean?" Petunia questioned. "How can there be a ghost in the park?"

"You haven't heard the rumors?" said Byron in disbelief. He smiled mischievously. His voice grew low and creepy. "A ghost has started to appear in the Happy Tree Park since Saturday. He comes out at midnight and screams into the night. They say he is the spirit of man who took his life in the park by hanging himself from a tree."

"Stop it, Cuddles," said Emily. "You're scaring me."

"Don't get to scared now," Byron continued, "because we are going there tonight."

"Why?" Emily was beside herself.

"For the thrill," explained Byron. "The four of us are going there to see this ghost and get the adrenaline rush of terror."

Marcel had been eavesdropping on their conversation. He could care less about what happened to Byron, but his concern lay in Petunia's safety. "I'll come with you," he said blatantly.

"Don't you have candy to shove down your throat," Bryon joked.

"I have something I want to shove in you," snapped Marcel, getting out of his chair.

"Do you want to start something candy whore?"

"Please calm down," Petunia said, putting a hand on each boy's shoulder. "It wouldn't be too bad to have an extra guy around. You know, to protect the girls." She glanced at Marcel.

Marcel blushed.

"Fine," Byron said grudgingly. "Nutty can come along. We'll meet up at the park's east entrance tonight at midnight when the ghost is said to roam."

That same morning, Kaorinite was walking down a corridor to the library with a tray of food in her hands. On the tray lie bacon and eggs with a cup of coffee. There was a surprising amount of contented in her face. She gently pushed the oak doors to the library open. Shelves to the ceiling, crammed with large, musty, ancient books and tomes. At the far end of the room, there was desk aglow with candles. Ganondorf sat at the desk looking down at a text. Kaorinite's seemed to light up upon just seeing the back of his head.

"What brings you here, Kaorinite?" Ganondorf said without even turning his attention away from the tome.

"I thought you might be hunger, my Lord," she answered softly.

"Thank you," he said. "I have been rather famished recently." Kaorinite brought the tray to the desk. "I have read your proposal to infect Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi with demon seeds."

"Did you like it?"

"I found it fascinating. Each one has suffered such marvelous tragedy, making them perfect hosts for demons. It seems that demon seeds can only flourish into powerful demons if the heart of the host holds powerful feelings of negativity for the demon to find nourishment. Wolf has been an excellent choice for the housing of my first demon general."

"How do you wish for me to take care of McCloud and Lombardi, my Lord?"

"I have let one of my spirits out in the night to terrorize a park. Now that Star Fox is suspicious of us, they will come to the park to investigate the occult occurrences like moths to the flame. I need you to make sure neither the Sailor Soldiers nor any one else interrupts the implantation process."

"I understand, my Lord."

That night, Serena and Darien were walking by the park on a romantic outing. The moon was full and aflame with a ghostly face.

"Isn't tonight romantic, Darien?" Serena said, latched to his side.

"The night is beautiful," agreed Darien.

"Let's take a walk through the park," Serena suggested cheerfully.

"It's pretty late don't you think? Dinner took longer than expected. I'm sure everyone will worry."

"No. Let's go and walk more in the moonlight."

As they walked into the park through the north entrance, Bryon, Marcel, Petunia, Emily, and Timmy made their appearance at the east entrance. Each one had a flashlight

"People say the screams come from the center of forest," said Byron.

"I'm scared, Cuddles," Emily said softly as she clutched Bryon's arm.

"Don't worry, Giggles. Your man is here to protect you."

While they came in through the east entrance, Fox, Falco, and Krystal came in through the west gate. Slippy remind in Great Fox but kept up radio contact with the three.

"Why aren't you here with us, Slip?" Fox asked.

"I'm not good at combat," Slippy answered. "I'm fine here at home where it's safe."

"Are you afraid of ghosts?" said Falco with a wily smile.

"No," Slippy said with a fake scoff. "I'm not afraid of ghosts."

"Whatever you say, Slip," snickered Falco.

Bryon and the others came down a dirty road that veered off into the depths of the forest. Petunia found comfort in the feeling of her hand in Marcel's hand. His cheeks were warm, and his attention span became patchy.

"What is that?" Timmy shrieked in a whisper. "Something is rustling up ahead."

The teens pointed the flashlights in the same direction. A male anthropomorphic goat came into the light. He couldn't have been more than forty. The man had messy, red hair on the top of his head while the rest of his body was in white fur. Fiery stubbles grew along his jaw. He wore a tattered black suit and his feet were bare. He looked at the teens without wincing at the light.

"Good evening," the goat man said calmly.

"It's the ghost!" Emily screamed.

The scream radiated through the forest. Serena heard it and became alarmed.

"Someone is in trouble," Serena said. "We have to help." She ran into the forest.

"Wait up, Serena!" Darien called after her.

"I'm not a ghost," the goat man said calmly. "I'm just walking leisurely in the moonlight."

"Barefoot?" questioned Bryon.

"Have you ever seen a man ruined by business before?" the man answered. A grimace spread across his face. "I had a life and a family, but corruption took it away from me. I do hope you don't end up like me. If you go deeper into the forest, you will." The man walked forward and passed them. The teens felt a chill as the man passed by them.

"Forget that kook," Bryon ordered. "Let's keep going."

"I don't think it's a good idea anymore," said Timmy. "There might be more vagabonds in the forest. They could mug us."

"I can fight off anything. Now let's get a move on."

As they continued walking, Petunia spoke quietly to Marcel. "What do think the man meant back there when he said we'll end up like him?"

"He's probably delusional," Marcel whispered. "Lots of people in my neighborhood are like that, ruined by life."

Petunia was silent for moment, then… "How awful. Do they get any help?"

"The good will of others helps. My family gets a basket of goods every Friday night. We don't know who does it. They just leave the baskets at the door step every week and leave before I can thank them."

"I wonder who it could be," Petunia laid her head against Marcel's arm and closed her eyes. She felt liberated from the eyes of her friends and free to do want she wanted. Her heart beat with the rhythm of Marcel's breath. She loved him. It was plain, simple, secret. "It is a really nice night, isn't it?"

Marcel suddenly stopped. Petunia felt him grow cold. She opened her eyes and saw her friends frozen in place. Their gaze was grabbed by the swinging corpse that hung in the middle of road. Horror came with a jolt when they recognized the face. It was the man from before. There was a rustle in the bushes, but the sight of the corpse captivated them.

Even brighter lights came from down the path. The teen were brought back to reality. Star Fox stood across from them. The goat man hung between them.

"It's just those kids from the fan club," said Falco.

"I guess that guy that committed suicide," said Fox. "What a waste? I'll cut him down."

When Fox was a foot away from the corpse, it spoke. "I can get myself down, thank you."

"Holy s***!" shrieked Fox with a jolt backwards.

The corpse pivoted to face Fox. His eyes were open and staring down at Fox. He smiled at the horrorstricken fox.

"Let me introduce myself," he said. "I am Unango, spirit and murderer." A blue energy swirled around the body. Once it dissipated, a tall, transparent beast with a head like a bull's skull appeared. He wore loose, black robes. His exposed flesh was a ghastly white and clinging to his bones. His teeth were like needles. "I may be a ghost, but I still find nourishment by devouring the flesh of the living."

Falco, Fox, and Krystal pulled out their blasters, but before they could fire, Unango flew up into the air and circled them like an overly anxious vulture. They shot their blasters and missed the fast moving specter.

"Oh my god!" screamed Emily. "Let's get out of here!"

The teens ran the way they came, and Unango saw them.

"You can't escape from me, my dinner," Unango chuckled. He then stiffened in one place as though he were preparing for something.

"What's he doing?" Fox asked his teammates.

"Who cares!" shouted Krystal. "Shoot him!"

Right before they could manage a bull's eye, Unango let out a horrid screech. This sound was like nothing found in the natural world. Nails on a blackboard came close to describing it but not close enough. The teens even heard it down the path. Upon hearing the noise, each person present slapped their hands over their ears in a futile attempt to block out the sound.

Meanwhile, Darien and Serena were running to where they heard the kid screaming when they heard the screeching imitated by Unango.

"Serena, do you hear that?" said Darien. "Serena?"

Serena slowly struggled out of a bush. Trigs and leaves were tangled in her hair, and a frustrated look showed on her face. "I can hear it."

"I can sense malevolence in the distance. We need to transform."

"Oh, right. Moon Crisis, Make-Up!" Serena transformed into Sailor Moon.

Darien held up a rose into the air. As the flower glared, his attire changed, and he transformed into Tuxedo Mask.

Back at the sight of the attack, Unango ended his scream and flew deeper into the forest. Everyone quickly recuperated. Star Fox pursued the ghost into the depths of the forest while the teens continued to run for safety. Unango came down into the forest with plenty of distance between him and Star Fox. As his feet touched the ground, Kaorinite appeared before him.

"Have you put Star Fox and those kids under your curse?" she asked.

"Yes, Lady Kaorinite," answered Unango respectfully. "The foxes and the bird are following me here just as you wanted."

"Good," said Kaorinite. "Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are in the park as well. Attract there attention by going after the teenagers while I implant demons into Fox and Falco. The screams of those teenage idiots will attract that married couple like dogs to meat."

"Can I eat those teens?" Unango said with hope.

"You can do whatever you like as long as it keeps Sailor Moon away from me. Here." She lifted her hand. Two Shambles appeared in front of her. Shambles are monstrous creatures created from bones and wires and reanimated to walk and attack. These creatures stood about six feet-tall. "Use these Shambles to assist you."

"Yes, my lady," Unango glided through the forests and disappeared.

The teenagers were running down the path, and a fog actually started to accumulate. It was not any ordinary fog. As the moonlight stuck it, the mist seemed to absorb the light and reflect it in a dim cerulean. The fog became so obscuring that the path had disappeared before their eyes. Petunia and Marcel were close together; however, the other three teens were bunched together and separated by them by just a meter. The fog caused the short distance to be a dire danger, for even by being just a meter away, Byron, Timmy, and Emily were gone from Marcel and Petunia's view.

"Cuddles! Giggles! Toothy!" cried Petunia. "Oh, Marcel, where did they go? They were just here." She squeezed Marcel's arm tightly. "I'm so scared." Tears gathered among the mist. "What if that ghost got them?"

"Don't think like that," Marcel said comfortingly. He was actually just as scared. He had no explanation to where the others could be. While he and she stood in the same spot silently, cloaked in the miasma, loud foot stomps rang out through the forests. The haze before them lifted only slightly to show a Shambles charging towards them.

"What is that?" Petunia screamed.

"I don't know, but let's get the hell away from it!" Marcel grabbed Petunia's arm and pulled her off the trail.

The Shambles followed them into the brush. Its foot steps were loud and awkward. The fog continued to spill over them. When it seemed that the fog was just starting to finally lift, they came to a short cliff.

"Can you rock climb?" Marcel asked Petunia with dire urgency.

"I have never rock climbed in my life and especially not in heels," Petunia answered with a shaky voice.

"Climb on my back," he ordered.

Petunia was reluctant, but then the Shambles steps could be heard coming closer.

"Hurry!"

Petunia leapt onto Marcel's back. He took to the cliff as fast as he could. On the way, his sandaled foot slipped, and his sandal slid away with his foot. Petunia let out a shriek, but they remained on the side of the cliff. The Shambles could see them. Marcel knew that climbing in sandals was a ridiculous idea, so he let the other one fall. Now his feet had a firmer grip on the rock, and he climbed up faster. Petunia climbed over him to get to the ledge, and Marcel followed. Fortunately, Shambles had no climbing capability whatsoever. There was a small boulder near the edge of the cliff. Marcel shoved it over the edge to try to crush the Shambles. His maneuver was a success, and the Shambles was crushed.

"You did it," squealed Petunia. She wrapped her arms around him. "It's true what they say about squirrels."

"We need to get out of the forest," Marcel said dryly. "I have a really bad feeling about this place."

Dark clouds spread over the moon like ink spilled on white paper. The darkness grew even more powerful. Byron, Timmy, and Emily stopped and realized that Marcel and Petunia were gone.

"Oh my god!" screamed Emily. "Petunia and Nutty are gone."

"How can that be?" said Timmy. "They were just behind us."

"I can't see anything in this fog," Byron said, frustrated. "D***!" He punched the trunk of a nearby tree. "That monster already got two of us."

"Don't say that, Cuddles," Emily pleaded. "Star Fox saved them. Those two are probably with them. Star Fox can stop that ghost."

"Do you hear that?" said Timmy. The other two became silent. Everyone listened. A low stomping noise echoed through the woods. The sound grew louder. "What do you think that is?" The fog was so thick now that all the three teens could see were each other. The sound of creaking wires and a ghostly rattling became audible soon.

"I can't see what is coming," Byron whispered.

Emily hung tightly to Byron. The noises were so loud that whatever was approaching them was very close. All of a sudden after it was quite loud, it stopped. Byron scanned the blanketing miasma for any sign of movement. Timmy stood before him, and, behind him, Byron saw a figure appear.

"Toothy, behind you!" alerted Byron.

Timmy twisted around to see a skeletal figured raise its claw to strike. He was paralyzed by fear. Before the arm came down to strike him down, Byron grabbed him and pulled him out of the figure's reach. When the arm came down, the swing dispersed some of the mist, revealing a Shambles. The miasma soon shrouded the monster once again. Emily screamed. Bryon shoved Timmy behind him.

"Oh, man!" cried Timmy. "We're gonna die!"

"I'll hold him off," Byron yelled. "Get the hell out of here!"

"Cuddles!" Emily cried.

"Get out of here!"

The Shambles struck while he was distracted. With a horizontal swing of his arm, he knocked Bryon onto his back. The Shambles came over Byron with its bony jaws wide open and ready to chop down on the boy's flesh. Byron kicked the Shambles head with his right foot. On one kick, the Shambles caught Bryon's foot in his mouth. Before the Shambles crunched down, Byron retracted his foot and saved it, but his bunny slipper remained skewered in the monster's teeth. The Shambles now decided to immobilize his pray by slashing Byron's face off with his claws.

"Get your hands off my Cuddles, you b****!"

Emily came up from behind the Shambles with a rock in her hand and leapt onto its back. She then began to frantically strike the Shambles in the head with the rock. Thanks you Emily's distraction, Byron noticed the wires holding the monster's skeletal body together. It was very fortunate for him that he brought his pocket knife with him. Bryon whipped his pocket knife out of his pocket, sprang the knife up, and charged into the Shambles abdomen. He stabbed into the tangled wires and severed key wires that held the beast together. With enough wires cut the Shambles fell apart into shambles. Emily let go of the crumbling heap of bones and hugged Byron and wept in relief.

"Thank you, Emily," Byron said, enjoying her embrace immensely. "If you didn't distract him, he would have killed me. Now we need to find Petunia and Nutty."

Meanwhile, Fox, Falco, and Krystal were moving quickly into the forest.

"Do you sense the ghost nearby?" Fox asked Krystal.

"I can't tell," she answered. "That screaming from before rattled by senses. I can feel something bewitching ahead. It should be him."

They plowed through the bushes and into a small, open meadow. It was here that they discovered Krystal to be mistaken, for Kaorinite was situated before them. Her eyes slowly opened to view her victims.

"You're one of the witches from the convention," Fox demanded. "Are you in collusion with the ghost?"

"Is that how you greet everyone, Mr. McCloud?" Kaorinite said calmly, almost seductively. "I'm here to give you and Falco a gift."

"I have a gift for you right here," said Falco as he took aim with his blaster. He fired several shots at Kaorinite.

Kaorinite simple moved her hand up before her, and the laser shots bounced off her force field.

"What the hell?" shouted Falco.

"I'm afraid you are not in my caliber," Kaorinite said. "Now hold still." From her hand an invisible shockwave fire out and hit Falco, sending him into a tree. Once his back struck the trunk, the vines swung down from the branches and held him in place. Fox came at her. She tried to knock him back with a shockwave, but he dodged her attack. Fox sent a kick to her chin, which she narrowly avoided. He then thrust at her stomach with his elbow and made contact. With Kaorinite dazzled by the last hit, Fox nailed an uppercut to her chin. Kaorinite was not happy. Once she got to her feet, she struck the ground with her palm open. A pentagram appeared where the hand was. As she lifted her hand a being rose from the pentagram. Kaorinite had summoned a Shambles. Fox was quite surprised by this. However, Kaorinite had made the mistake of ignoring Krystal, for Krystal was not a stranger to the arcane arts. She had brought her magical staff because she knew that they would encounter mystical powers. Luckily for Fox, Krystal was familiar with Shambles. From the blue stone atop her staff, a white ray of light fired and struck the Shambles, causing the wires that held it together to disintegrate, destroying it.

"What in the world?" exclaimed Kaorinite. She was shocked by Krystal's ability to use magic.

"You shouldn't assume that no one on Corneria can use magic," Krystal said. Krystal then dashed towards Kaorinite, leapt into the air, and fired a white beam from her staff. Kaorinite was barely able to block the attack with her own.

"You are better than I expected," Kaorinite said, "but you are nowhere near my caliber." Her long vermillion hair extended quickly. By flinging her head, her hair became a whip-like weapon. She swung her hair and knocked a bamboozled Krystal into a tree, knocking her unconscious.

"Krystal!" Fox shouted. He charged Kaorinite but was too slow to get to her before she hit him with a shockwave. He two was sent into a tree and immobilized by vines.

Kaorinite shot to Fox and stopped on him with her hands clutching his arms. Her face was inches from his. With one of her hands she caressed Fox's cheek. Fox was frozen by this woman's touch. Her fingers were icicles. "You have such soft fur, my dear Fox. Maybe someday I'll get the chance to make you into a coat. Now you are going to get your gift." Dark Power flowed into Fox. Fox was struggled to escape the witch's vise. She was sending the demon seed into him.

Falco was horrified by what he saw. Fox's screams rang through the forest like a train whistle. "Get the f*** off of him!" Falco shouted.

Fox's screaming came to an end, and Kaorinite separated from him. "Now it's your turn, bird."

All the screaming was heard by the teens.

"Who could that be?" Timmy said, with his nails in his mouth.

"It sounds like it was two different guys," said Byron. He then grew horrified by the possibility. "You don't think it is Fox and Falco, do you?"

"I don't know," whimpered Emily. "I want to go home! I wanna go home."

The fog that was so impossible to see through suddenly began to lift again. The teens found themselves not on the road but in a large meadow with several crooked trees. The trees twisted into creatures of agony with bare branches. The bark was grey and dead. Their trunks bent and rose and fell. The some branches curved and twisted up sharply begging for safety from some celestial forces. To even further foreshadowing of potential despair, most of the trees bared peculiar fruits that swung slowly in the breeze. Like the pendulums in a grandfather clock, they swung back and forth, back and forth with the breeze. The bodies of those who succumb to despair were the fruits of these dead trees. For these dozens, life brought despair so powerful that death was a pleasant release. Marcel and Petunia entered the same meadow.

"Oh my god!" gasped Petunia.

"I know," Marcel said, glumly. "This is the legend of Happy Tree Park. Deep in its forests, there is said to be a place where all in despair go to find peace through suicide. I thought it was a legend."

"Petunia?" Emily said as she eyed Petunia in the distance.

"Emily? Emily, is that you?"

"Petunia! Guys, Petunia is alive!"

"Marcel is with me too. We both made it!"

"Oh my god!" Emily squealed in delight. "Come over here."

Petunia ran to Emily. Marcel followed but suddenly stopped

_What is this?_ He thought. _I can't move_

"You will provide me with some fun before dinner," said a voice in his head. It was Unango. His ethereal body was presently invisible to all the teens, so no one saw that he was directly behind Marcel or that his hands were on the boy's shoulders. He moved his mouth to Marcel's ear.

"Who are you?" Marcel asked.

"I am despair, child. I have come to free you."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"I know the source of your pain. Perhaps, I need to jog you memory."

A noose fell from the branch above Marcel. It swung right in front of his face. As he looked through the noose, he saw Petunia and the others talking. Apparently, they forgot about him. Then, the image in the frame of the noose changed. In the frame of the noose, a picture of the pleasant street where he used to live on appeared.

The body of a three year-old child lay before a gathering crowd. The child was Mathis Chevalier, Durand's twin brother. His brothers were all there, crying. The man, who had driven the car that struck Mathis, looked glumly at the result of his negligence. Marcel's father, Augustine Chevalier, nicknamed Flippy by his fellow army brothers, pushed through the crowd. When his eyes fell upon the body of his son, all emotion, all life, all essence fleeted from his eyes.

"Sir, I didn't see him," the man from the car said. "He came out right out of nowhere. I'm so sorry." Augustine did not respond. He just continued to stare at his son's dead body. "Sir? Sir?"

Augustine turned to the man. His face was distorted into something worn by a monster. His mouth was stretched into a grin that ran from ear to ear. His eyes were not like they were before he saw the body. They were now wide and filled with insanity and hate. His breathing was aloud and heaving. The third time the man said, "Sir," Augustine grabbed the man's head and snapped his neck in one motion. The crowd grew hushed. His sons gathered closely together. Augustine then pulled out a knife and leapt onto one of the bystanders and slit his throat. People began to run away from him, but he followed them and killed anyone he could catch. As he killed the innocent, he laughed manically.

"You see, Marcel, this was the event in your life that started your decent into despair," Unango whispered. "Your father was thrown into an asylum for his split personality, and your family couldn't support itself without him. Your mother became sick with grief. Your younger brothers are forced to lower their expectations for a good life. Your one older brother has gone to help support you from afar, but you… You are alone to take care of everything else. You have no life. You have no friends. Why continue?" A stool appeared under the noose. "You can end it all. All the pain will go away."

Marcel was convinced that this was best for him. His heart was broken. His body ached from all of his part-time jobs. Despair consumed him. Death would release him. He stepped onto the stool. He placed the noose around his neck.

"Where is Nutty?" Timmy asked.

Petunia turned to the direction she had come from to find Marcel about to hang himself. Her heart sank when she saw Marcel about to end his life.

"Marcel!" she screamed as she ran to stop him, but she was too slow.

Marcel kicked the stool down. His body fell, but before the noose could break his neck, a rose severed the rope. Marcel was saved. The rose did not just save Marcel. It also broke the hypnotic curse Unango placed on them. All the bodies hanging from the trees disappeared, for they were only illusions. He appeared in plain view before the teenagers.

"Who threw that rose?" Unango shouted.

A caped figure stood on one of the branches of one of the trees. His black cape swayed in the wind.

"Walks in the moonlight are for romance and not for terror. You have sullied this beautiful night and attempted to kill. For that you will not be forgiven."

The clouds that covered the moon migrated off of the silver orb, letting its light fall onto the forest. The light illuminated another person in the forest. Unango looked up and saw Sailor Moon standing down the path, spotlighted by the moonlight.

"This isn't like the movies where the monster kills people before finally loosing, and the ending is not going to end with a question mark. For love and justice, I'm a pretty soldier in a sailor suit. I'm Sailor Moon. And in the name of the moon, I'll punish you."

"Sailor Moon?" roared Unango. "I won't loose to you." He inhaled deeply to create another cursing scream, but before he could finish preparations of his attack, Tuxedo Mask through six roses that all landed around Unango's feet. The rose created a prison of energy that damaged Unango.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask commanded.

Sailor Moon brought out her Cutie Moon Rod. "Moon Princess Halation!" The golden crescent shot forth and stuck Unango.

Unango screamed. "Cleansing!" His body disintegrated, leaving only a white, glowing orb in the place of his body. The orb rose into the sky and disappeared.

"Sailor Moon saved us!" Emily cheered.

"Sailor Moon, thank you so much of saving us," Byron said.

"It is what I do," said Sailor Moon. Tuxedo Mask came to her side.

"Tuxedo Mask," Petunia said timidly. "You saved Marcel's life. Thank you."

"He should be fine," Tuxedo Mask said. "That malevolent spirit tried to make him take his own life with hypnosis. When Marcel wakes up, he should be fine. Now we bid you adieu."

The two of them jumped into the air and vanished.

"Wow!" cheered Emily. "Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are so cool."

Marcel started to gain consciousness. "Sailor Moon…" he whispered weakly.

Fox, Falco, and Krystal regained consciousness soon after their battle. Fox and Falco did not remember anything that happened.


	11. Chapter 11

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

Busting Rhymes for Joy

PaRappa the Rapper, Stage On!

The Witches 5 were all sitting in a common room in their secret lair. The common room was a parlor decorated in black stone, cherry wood, and red cloth. The rays of the sun were stifled completely by scarlet curtains. The only light came from candles. Telulu sat on a red velvet sofa and read fashion magazines while Eugeal and Byruit were busy working on laptop computers at cherry wood desks. Cyprine stood in front of a tall mirror and posed before it while experimenting with a new skin exfoliator.

"Do you think this stuff is really working?" Cyprine asked Telulu.

"I have total faith in that exfoliator," Telulu said, turning away from the magazine and onto Cyprine's reflection. "It is all natural, made from tropical plants from the Rain Forests. I use it and have no regrets."

Just then, the door to the parlor burst open, and Mimet pranced in with high spirits. She cared a CD in her hand. "Guess what I found?" she squealed.

"Crabs?" Byruit said, not looking away from her computer but still intending a joke.

"No," said Mimet. She held the CD up for all of them to see. The CD bared the words "PaRappa the Rapper" in its title printed to look like graffiti on a brick wall.

"PaRappa?" Cyprine said curiously. "Who is that?"

"He happens to be a sensation on Corneria," Mimet explained. "He is a yellow dog around our age with a rap career that has soared high and mighty. He is super famous." She skipped to the boom box on one of the counters and placed the CD inside the machine. "You all will love him."

An urban beat came on. It was soon accompanied by PaRappa's rapping. The song was essentially about drunken girls coming onto him in club.

"I have no idea what he is saying, but it sounds cool," Mimet squealed blissfully.

"Shut that trash off!" Eugeal hallowed with her hands over her ears. "I can't stand rap music." She got up from her desk, walked over to the boom box, and pressed the stop button.

"I was listening to that!" Mimet whined.

"How can you stand that drivel," retorted Eugeal. "It is nothing but crude sentences spoken to cheap music."

"You can be such a fuddy-duddy, Eugeal," complained Mimet.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Asajj Ventress appeared in the doorway. This alien woman met the youthful room with a chill of distain for these happy girls. Her slender, white body was dressed in her usual tight, black halter top and floor-length black dress. Her bold head was lusterless in the candle light. Her cerulean eyes came to Mimet and Eugeal.

"Ganondorf has another assignment ready," said Ventress, as she glided towards the two girls. "The youth shall be our next target. You are to choose someone of influence and bring them into our control. That person shall spread our message to the minds of the people. Search for a target now and stop squabbling."

None of the witches liked Ventress, for she was cold and seductive in a manner that was "creepy" for them.

"I know the perfect target," Eugeal said.

"Do you?" Ventress said softly.

Eugeal picked up the PaRappa CD and showed it to Ventress. "This rapper is very famous among teenagers and is a perfect candidate for a demon's host."

"Interesting," said Ventress. "I shall tell Ganondorf of your plan, so he can pick out the right kind of demon for him. You shall be sent out to curse this boy."

"What?" Mimet shrieked in outrage. "I want to go."

Ventress laughed. "Not a chance. Mimet, Kaorinite has told Ganondorf all about your failures attempting to steal hearts from only the handsomest celebrity men. You are distracted far too easily by fame and beauty, my dear." She turned around and left the room, closing the door behind.

"He is so creepy," Telulu said.

"You have to admit that, for a dude, he can work that dress," commented Cyprine.

A monsoon of screaming fans waited outside the glass threshold of a record store, gripping pens and autograph books and CDs. The most fanatical of them pressed their faces against the glass and let they drool make water marks on the windows to make it looked like it had just rained. The record store workers were afraid of opening the store and letting in the stampede. Of course, PaRappa was sweating. PaRappa was a young, teenage, anthropomorphic dog with creamy fur and floppy black ears that flopped down from under his red, wool cap, a pointless, in practicality, accessory given that he was wearing a blue tank-top, baggy, darker blue sweat pants, and red tennis shoes. He was quite "cute", a description that doesn't quite brush him well since he is a rapper. He was at the record signing of his CD along with two other friends, a bear and another dog. The bear, P.J. Berri, was PaRappa's best friend and arguably his sidekick. He was a little short and dumpy yet an amazing DJ who often assisted PaRappa in his concerts and CDs. He looked sleepy and dressed like a normal boy from the hood: loose-fitting t-shirt, oversized sweatpants, tennis shoes endorsed by some athlete (which one was not that important). The dog boy was similar in appearance to PaRappa. However, there was no relation. He also had nicely combed blonde hair on his head. His name was Matt Major. He was rather clean-cut and proper as well and in a lot of purple clothing.

"This CD of yours really made it big, PaRappa," said Matt.

"There are a lot of people out there," P.J. said lazily. "I'm sure glad that I don't have to sign all those CDs."

"Don't keep reminding me!" whined PaRappa.

When the doors opened, the flood of screaming fans burst through for the autographs they would cherish. After dozens and hundreds of autographs, PaRappa was carried away by his two friends to a SUV parked behind the store with an aching hand. Matt drove the car. There next destination was the house of their good friend, Byron Jones. Unfortunately, like vultures, paparazzi in black cars saw them pull out from the back alley. This was unfortunate. The flashing lights, speeding cars, moderate traffic: this was unfortunate. Every red light would lead to a SUV full flashing cameras stopping right at their side.

"Can't we get a break today?" complained P.J.

"I can shake them," said Matt, strongly gripping the wheel.

Matt turned the car into the turnoff into the freeway. The engine revved as it matched up the speeds of the others on the road. The paparazzi still pursued them up onto the elevated street that swirled into the heavier part of the city, away from Byron's neighborhood. Matt used the thickening freeway to his advantages. Some lane changes, speed-ups, slow-downs: they were all helpful in shaking off the paparazzi.

"Matt, you're so amazing!" cheered PaRappa, not seeing a single paparazzo through the back window. "You got rid of them."

"That's why you have me around," said Matt, "for that and fighting off the screaming fans."

"You know it!" laughed PaRappa. "Thank you!"

Since the chase was done and won, they finally drove to the lavish gated community where Byron, Petunia, Emily, and PaRappa himself lived. Cameras caught every angle around the gate, capturing everything entering and leaving. Matt leaned out of the window and punched in the entrance code. The steel bars of the enormous golden gate inched open until finally granting access into the Eden of mansions. The terrain was wavy as those of Earth's Beverly Hills and had the same degree of gluttonous grandeur. So big, so glamorous, so extravagant, so garish it was silly. Every inch of flora was green and colored by the intricate, and actually quite wasteful, sprinkler systems that watered everything in range at regularly scheduled intervals every day, every week, every season, so the grounds were always green except when snow fell. The owners had nothing to do with these feats of vegetation sculpturing. These works of art were painstakingly sculpted by the workers while the owners barely even spent the time to admire the work. Spectators complemented the owners on this art. An enormous garage would belong to a single house and have more cars than needed for a whole city block. These garages were often enlarged to fit more cars because there can never be enough. Cars and pools were the envy of the neighbors. All wanted that little bit bigger. The things inside these houses were, of course, expensive, grand, amazing, or pointless. It was all about pride.

Byron's house was one of the loveliest. The pure white façade was beautiful as the sun struck it. Three floors for the three people it had. Matt parked the SUV near the mansion's doors. PaRappa rang the doorbell and awaited the answer from most likely the butler.

Byron sat in a black leather office chair with his electric guitar perched in his lap. That professional grade instrument was plugged into the best (allowed in a residential zone) amp money could buy. The volume was on very low to keep the song pleasurable for Emily, who sat on his king-sized bed with Timmy. Byron's head bobbed up and down yet did not disturb his raised rabbit ears. Emily gazed dreamily with a blissful whimsy fluttering in her heart at her boyfriend as he had a backdrop of soccer, martial arts, and surfing trophies. Byron was very lucky. As the son of two ultra successful actors, he had it all, at least in the material world.

"Ooh!" squealed Emily. "Cuddles, you're so cool!"

"You're really good at the guitar," said Timmy. "I can sing, but you're good at everything."

"I know," Byron answered smugly. "Let's see Nutty even try any of the things I can do."

"Why did you bring him up?" asked Emily.

"Cuddles is just sore because Petunia said Nutty kicked a monster's a**," said Timmy.

"Shut up, Toothy," sneered Byron.

"You shouldn't let that bother you," said Emily. "Petunia was really impressed by him. I think she really likes him. I think Mime has some competition."

"My a**!" laughed Byron. "There is no way that that poor freak with a lazy eye has a chance against another freak with money."

"That's not very nice," scolded Emily.

Byron scoffed.

The butler came to the door and told them that PaRappa and his friends had arrived to take them to Club Fun, a dance club where PaRappa was scheduled to perform.

Every color in the spectrum flashed from lights on the floor, walls, and ceiling. The strove lights blazed through the air whenever the chiaroscuros were not flaring, shining lovely radiance on the ecstatic dancers whose whimsies and impulses took hold. The staleness of reason was shoved aside for the fantastic carefree ecstasy. The thoughts of the dancers were probably not even active. Their bodies were under an autopilot turned on by the music, yet their emotions of happiness were invoked and ablaze as an electrical euphoria. So what if rationality and coherent strings of thoughts were missing? They did not need to be present, for Club Fun was a place of sheer jubilation.

P.J. was the DJ for the club. His perpetually sleepiness (which was most likely caused by his late hours at the club) was nonexistent at the scratch boards. Never a complaint arose from any of the patrons, for all their whimsies were met by the maestro. PaRappa was there too, giving the vocals while P.J. handled the background music. PaRappa's song, "Love Together," was very different from the normal vitriolic, nonsensical drivel that so many rap artists, both Cornerian and Earthling, subjugate themselves to spouting so coarsely. PaRappa was not like them. Sure, every now and then a song of his would have some misogynistic undertones for commercial flypaper, but his grandest performance pieces were those that were of commendable lyrics. Love that was not a guise for a sexual thirst was the subject that many were so pleased to hear for once. He, unlike many, had his sights on only one girl. These songs were for her. Unfortunately, he had not won her heart yet. The loving family he had was also of great inspiration. Though motherless, he and his little sister, Pinto, were well-taken care of by their father. PaRappa stories were not of violence or sex; they were of seeking what is truly good in life. As the jubilant partiers danced, they danced to words of delight.

At the door, a motorcycle, carrying two riders, stopped. The riders, masked by helmets both wore tight, black leather. One was clearly a woman, and the other was clearly an anthropomorphic lizard. They shedding the helmets and gave their identities, Eugeal and Leon, only to people who could see through their whole guise. Both came into Club Fun with a somberness that was reflected outward by the blackness of the leather they wore. Leon's eyes slithered within their sockets and found PaRappa up on stage. Eugeal cuffed her hands over her ears. She hated rap music of all themes.

"We've found our target," Leon said to her, not knowing that she could not hear him.

PaRappa took a break after a series of songs. The heat of the strove lights exhausted him and made him sweat his clothes into a dampness that was usually attained by standing out in the rain. There was a quaint dressing room for him backstage that also housed a small bathroom with a shower. He disrobed and proceeded to cleanse is sweaty body. He twisted the knobs shut to end the water's flow and reach over to the counter for his towel. Once content with this job drying with the towel, he put on a blue robe yet also put his red cap back on too. A chill from nowhere made him shiver. When he opened the door, PaRappa found Eugeal in her witch clothes standing in the center of the small room.

"How the hell did you get in here?" PaRappa shrieked. "You may be a fan, but learn boundaries."

"I'm not of fan of c***," Eugeal scoffed, "but your _music_ is loved by many. That will be useful."  
"Securi…" Before he could finish is cry for help, Leon wrapped himself around PaRappa, holding a knife to the boy's neck, easily hushing him.

"Don't scream, PaRappa," said Eugeal, stepping forward. "You won't die if you just comply with us."


	12. Chapter 12

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

From the Filth of the Criminal Underworld

Falco's Tragic Story

"EH! EH! EH!"

Timmy groped his nightstand for the alarm clock. His face was buried under a pillow and quite happy staying there. His other hand added pressure onto the pillow to futilely block the irritating, electric squawking. Once his hand found it, he jammed the snooze button down, ending the racket.  
_It's Saturday. Why the hell did I forget to turn off my alarm?_

Up at the hour for preparations of school with no school to go to, it was a pain. Timmy's big beaver tail rose up, making a mountain out of the sheets. Since he was up anyway, why not get breakfast and start the day as is. He yanked the sheets off of his body and retired the pillow back to its normal post.

His room was quite plain: beige walls, white doors for the closet and exit, a window with white venetian blinds. It was boring aside from the epic posters depicting the awesome Star Fox Team. Cinematic moments were frozen and pinned to walls with cellophane tape.

Timmy's bare feet were tickled by the cream carpet. He saw himself in the mirror next to the bureau. Everything about him was so ordinary, plain, boring. He wore gray, flannel pajamas to bed and even a nightcap that matched. A purple beaver dressed like a floppy tin man looked back at him. It was so humdrum. He hated it. He ripped off the night cap first and then proceeded down the hall to the bathroom for his customary urination and subsequent shower. Unfortunately, his father, Handy (a name that will prove to be ironic later), occupied the bathroom.

"Dad!" Timmy moaned as he knocked sluggishly on the door. "You have your own bathroom. I have to pee."

"I go to whatever is closet," Handy said through the door. "If you need to go so bad, use my toilet."

Timmy did just that and walked in and out of master bedroom and bathroom. When he came back to his bathroom's door, his father had left. After brushing his perfect and strong teeth, Timmy took his shower. Such a boring bathroom it was: beige walls, white door, white shower curtain, white towels, white sink, white bathtub, white toilet, white flowers and vase on top of the toilet tank that was also white. _Boring!_

Once his shower was over, Timmy dressed in a red polo shirt and light blue jeans. On his way to the stairs, he shrieked out in pain. He grabbed his foot and found that he had stepped onto a plastic, pink hair brush for dolls while barefoot. That was his little sister's fault. Her clutter had spread out from her room and soon would infest the whole house. Since she, Tina, was still asleep, he couldn't yell at her. If he did try, his father would most likely ground him.

His mother, Molva, stood over a sizzling ban of eggs and bacon. She was where Timmy received his purple fur. She too was a beaver, as was his father. She was quite scholarly in her wide-framed glasses and dental floss-green, cardigan sweater, white dress, and white socks. Her occupation did call for a strong mind. She was a dentist. She was where Timmy received his magnificent smile too. Timmy works part time for her at her dentistry.

His father sat at the table with the newspaper before him, the sports section of course. Handy was of broad, muscular build and orange fur. His head stood on wide shoulders. His pectorals were fine. However, his stomach was accompanied by a bit of a beer gut. Rather unshaven by choice, he did look like a classic construction worker, and he was one. He was off on weekends, as was Molva, so he wore his sports-watching clothes: a football jersey and basketball shorts and bare feet. What turned out to be so phenomenally ironic about his name were his cybernetic hands. After a mishap at work, his hands had to be amputated and replaced with cybernetic ones. Aside from being perpetually cold, they were just like normal hands. At the current moment, one hand brought a cup of coffee to his lips. Timmy stared at his neck as the liquid flowed down his gullet.

"You're up early," his mother said to him. "I'm glad you're up. You can have a good breakfast with us. Sit down, and I'll get you a plate."

Timmy sat across from his father. His mother brought them their plates of bacon and eggs.

"What do you have planned today?" Handy asked his son without looking away from the basketball stories.

"I'm going to hang out with Bryon and go to that club called The Inferno," Timmy explained. "PaRappa is supposed to make an appearance there."

"If you're going to Byron's house," said his mother, "I need you to stop by the church on the way. I have been treating Father Cornelo, and his medicine just came in last night. Could you take it to him please?"

"Sure," said Timmy.

"Thank you so much, Timmy," his mother thanked.

After Timmy finished breakfast, he went the front door with the paper bag containing the medication for the clergyman and fetched his black tennis shoes. As he was slipping into his shoes, his father came by and sat down next to him. Handy reached over and took a pair of white, slide-on sandals.

"Do you mind if I come along with you?" Handy asked, slipping his bare feet into the sandals.

"Why?" Timmy asked.

"I want to have a father-son talk with you."

Timmy was weary of this. His father frequently stopped him to talk to him about some horrifically boring fact-of-life story. Handy was quite inclined to keep his son in line and was very strict with him. Their household had pinned so many rules onto Timmy so that he would stay on a good path. Any mistake would be punished somehow, and his father made sure of it. His size and stature was enough to intimidate. Though strict, he was a good and loving father to both his son and his daughter.

"What did I do wrong?" Timmy asked to get it out of the way.

"Wrong?" Handy repeated. "You didn't do anything wrong. I want to tell you that I am really proud of you."

Timmy looked up with disbelief at his father.

"You are almost all grown," Handy spoke. "You're not a little boy any more, but you will always be _my _little boy. I see so many bad kids hanging around construction sites. I thank god that you didn't turn out like them. I'm strict with you because I don't want you to be like them. I'm proud of you, son." Handy laid his metal hand on his son's shoulder.

Timmy felt a pleasing pride swell up in him. "Thanks, Dad."

"I'll see you back at home later," Handy said with a departing wave. "Stay safe." He went back home, and Timmy proceeded to the church.

As it turned out, Rei Hino was walking along the same street, curious to what kind of churches Corneria housed. She and Timmy entered the church at the same time but did not interact since they had never met, clearly. The church's exterior was constructed with bland brown bricks. The steeple rose high up into a spire, ending at a bell post. The cloudy, grey skies were dimming all of the scenery into a drab grey stillness. The nesting birds in the bell post scattered like sand blown by the wind when the bell tolled for the hour passed. The grey, chipped steps up into the darkened chambers of the church were hardened and worn by the feet of so many parishioners. The benches were lined up perfectly and meticulously, all facing the altar and the subsequent stained-glass window behind it. That window, whose image spotlighted the altar on clear days, bared the mystifying icon of a radiant butterfly. Streams of pink and yellow and silver were emitted from the translucent, rainbow wings. Yet today, no shine could make this happen. The radiant butterfly was reduced to a sad victim of lepidopterist by the dreariness. Father Cornelo was at the altar praying when Timmy came up behind him. He was a big man, considered overweight, and a walrus. His kin was dark gray and contrasted greatly from his immense, bushy, white eyebrows. His scalp was completely void of hair. He adorned a solid black robe with a stiffened, white collar and shiny, black leather shoes.

"Father Cornelo," Timmy said with a bow, "my mom sent me over here to deliver the medicine you need." He held out the bag.

"My dear boy," said Father Cornelo with open arms, "your mother has done wonders for me. And I thank you with all my heart." He took the bag. "Will you stay for this morning's mass?"

"Sorry, I have to be somewhere," answered Timmy.

"Thank you again for your kindness, my boy," said Father Cornelo.

Rei had been watching this. Just then, Katt burst through the doors of the church and ran up the aisle. She stopped at the front row, where Cornelo and Timmy were. However, they were not to her interest. Neither Timmy nor Rei had noticed that Falco sat in that front row, only steps away from them.

"There you are, Falco," Katt said in a huff. "I have been looking everywhere for you. Krystal told me that you just up and left in the middle of the night. Not only did she tell me that, but she also mentioned that she found you and Fox passed out in the forest feeling unnaturally cold. I would have thought that would be something to tell me but no. You kept it to yourself."

Falco was not in the mood. He had been praying and held what looked like a rosary in his hands. "Leave me the alone," he said lowly.

Timmy was ecstatic. His eyes were wide and glistening. "Holy lollypops! Falco – I mean – Mr. Lombardi… Remember me? I'm your biggest fan!"

"Everyone, get the hell away from me!" he shouted. His words froze time in the whole church. He stomped off out of the church.

"Wait, Falco!" Katt called.

"Wait, Mr. Lombardi!" Timmy called.

Rei, who had watched Falco rush off, looked back to where he sat and found the rosary that he had been clutching left behind. She knelt down and picked it up to find that it wasn't a rosary. It was a locket. The exterior of the locket bared the same radiant butterfly that was depicted in the stained-glass window. After staring at its beauty for a few seconds, Rei realized that she needed to give it back to Falco. She ran out of the church and saw Katt and Timmy watching Falco ride off into the distance on a motorcycle.

"He left this behind," Rei said to Katt. She held out the locket.

Katt snatched it from Rei and stared at it. "I can't believe he left this behind…"

"What is it?" Timmy asked.

Katt opened the locket. Inside, there was a small picture of a four year-old Falco alongside a beautiful bird woman who bared features similar to his own, the same feather colors. There was someone else in the shot, but that person's face had been torn out.

"That's his mother," Timmy breathed.

"Who is that person that is ripped out?" Rei asked.

"Are you saying that you don't know?" Timmy said.

"What?"

"Falco Lombardi…" Katt began. "He didn't have a happy childhood…"

* * *

The stars' light was no competition for the intense lights stationed around the walkways and coiled around trees in ropes. The blitzed partiers chatted up and danced around throughout the gardens of the gorgeous mansion. It was a fine mansion, three-stories, wide, so magnificently constructed with practicality and sensibility scrapped from the blue prints. The three pools that connected in some way, waterfall steps, river, whatever, proved to be hazards for the party goers who had clearly been enjoying the open bar far too much. The tuxedoed men's and dressed gals' classy dancing was exponentially degrading into lethargic motions of swaying hips and tongues.

For some reason, children were there too. Parents either left them with nannies or dumped them in the hedge maze to wonder around aimlessly for the night while the parents enjoyed their liquor. A four year-old Falco Lombardi was one of those children dumped into the hedge maze. His parents walked him there.

Falco's father, Victor Lombardi, was a fearsome creature. He passed his physique down to his son. This man was tall and dark and handsome but frightening. For the party, he wore a black suit. His feathers were a dull, colorless gray. His eyes were dead of positive emotion.

Falco's mother, Winona, was far more pleasant to the eye. She was so poised. The moonlight glistened off the red sequins on her silk dress. The ruby earrings sparked with the glimmers from the fairy lights. She was so beautiful and filled Falco's heart with joy on sight. Of course, a gorgeous, golden locket with a butterfly emblem shined on her chest.

"Run off and have fun, son," his father said.

"I will, Papa," Falco chirped.

"Stay safe," his mother said sweetly.

He, of course, didn't see the maze as a preoccupation for him while his parents partied. He saw it as a mystical world. The twinkle lights that had been interwoven into the hedges were like fairies. Falco frolicked among them. This child was so much more joyous and jovial than the adult he would become. He felt the constraints of his formal black suit as he skipped through the maze laughing. He stopped at a small, stone bench to remove his coat. Next he untied his clunky, shined black shoes and pulled of his black socks. Now he could frolic more comfortably. His pace was quickened in bare feet. He was ecstatic to run among the fairies. His childish mind carried him away from reality and soon out of the hedge maze and into a darkened part of the mansion's huge lawn. He looked back and saw the lights from the party behind him. Once he made up his mind to go back, he heard a noise off in the trees. Curious, he crept further. Men were could be heard talking. One of the men was his father. This made Falco feel safer about going forward. He found that his father and two other men were facing down a sole man.

"You're payments are overdue," Victor said to the cowering man.

"I just need a little more time," said the craven anthropomorphic cat.

It was then that Falco saw that one man had a baseball bat. That man handed the bat to Victor.

"When our family sets a deadline, you deliver on time," said Victor.

With one fast motion, Falco's view of his father forever changed. The cracking noise of bone was deafening to his innocent ears. When the red jam oozed from the cat's head, he knew he should be scared. His father had wielded a weapon and killed a man.

"Take care of the body," Victor said to the two cronies. "I have a party to get to."

Falco had dashed off before his father could see him. He was crying rivers. His heart raced more than it ever had in his life. He ran across the yard and back into the hedge maze. The tears blurred the fairies into smudges of white on black. He finally stopped when he came to the bench where he left his jacket and shoes. His mother, Winona, sat there.

"Falco," she said calmly, "you look like a mess. You shouldn't have run off without your shoes."

"Mommy!" Falco hollered as he stammered over to hug her. He loved how warm she was.

"You look terrified, baby," she said. She stroked the feathers on his head gingerly. "Don't cry anymore. Mommy is here."

Soon afterwards, Falco had fallen asleep in his mother's lap. Victor arrived shortly to announce that they would be leaving the party.

"We're going," he said dryly.

Winona stared at him scornfully. "What were you up to?"

"It's none of your business."

"That makes me feel worse."

Victor glared at his wife with those dead, anger-filled eyes. "Just come." His eyes traveled down to the sleeping Falco. He also took hold of his sleeping son to carry the boy to the car. He murmured something to himself. "I should have spent more on condoms."

As he drove them home, Victor had little or nothing to say to Winona. Then again, she didn't speak to him either. The Lombardi home was a big home, much bigger than the three of them needed. It was, to be crude, a McMansion. It and the nice, brand new car were all paid for with money Victor received from his "business". Winona was never told where the money came from throughout their marriage. If ever she should asked… she was disciplined to not ask again. Victor only married her because he impregnated her accidentally. Now Winona wishes she could end it, but fear of her husband stopped that from happening. To guarantee survival, Winona remained submissive to the hit man she married.

Once at home, Winona put her believed child to bed. After changing into his pajamas, Falco crawled into his comfy bed that was surrounded by toys.

"You had an eventful day," she said as she stroked his forehead. She saw that he looked a little shaken. "Is something wrong, sweetie?"

"Mommy…" Falco said softly. "I saw Papa do a bad thing."

"Really? What did he do?"

"He bonked a man on the head with a bat. He swung hard. Strawberry jam came out of the man's head."

Winona was chilled by the confession. She put her arms around Falco and hugged him tightly. Falco didn't know why. All she said before leaving was, "I love you, Falco."

Winona walked briskly to her bedroom, finding her husband sitting on the bed. His jacket and buttoned shirt were removed. While he was pulling his socks off his feet with one hand, a bottle of liquor was clutched in the other hand.

"Didn't you drink enough at the party?" Winona said dryly.

Victor didn't respond.

"Falco had fun tonight," Winona continued. "He said he saw you tonight bonk a man on the head with a bat."

Now Victor glared at her with his bloodshot, anger-filled eyes.

"You killed a man in front of our child," she accused angrily.

Victor sat up and strolled slowly over to the bureau and set his liquor bottle on it. Then he strolled over to his wife. After standing in front of her for a few seconds with a dead stare, he bashed the back of his hand against her cheek, knocking her to the floor.

"In my defense," Victor said calmly, "I didn't know he was there."

Winona held her hand over the spot where he struck her as she stammered to her feet.

"I should have never married you!" she shouted. "You're a monster!"

Victor punched her in the other side of the face, knocking her against the wall.

"B****!" he yelled, grabbing the liquor bottle and throwing it. He narrowly missed and struck the wall by her head.

Winona got up again. "I'm leaving, and I'm taking Falco."

"You're not going anywhere!" Victor rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a blaster pistol. "Don't try to leave me, hoe!"

Winona made a dash for the door. Victor fired and missed. Winona continued running down the hall and made it into the living room when the heel of her left shoe snapped. Like a tree, she fell and made a horrific noise no one would hear. She saw Victor coming towards her with the gun pointed at her. Closer and closer he came for a clean shot. As a finale to her life, she gripped her necklace and prayed that Falco would find a way to escape this monster. The shot was fired. She slumped down. The necklace was still gripped tightly in her hand. A growing pool radiated from her body. Victor looked at his work with a sick smile of satisfaction. He felt eyes on him. Falco stood at the hallways threshold, clearly an observer of the grisly crime.

"Mommy?" he whispered. Tears streamed down his face. He ran to her and hugged her body to feel her warmth, only to find it slipping away. "Mommy? Wake up, Mommy… MOMMY!"

He looked up and saw his father leave through the front door, shutting it behind him. Falco saw the butterfly locket in his mother's hand.

* * *

Rei continued to gawk at the butterfly locket.

"We have to return it to him," she said urgently.

"We'll take my car," said Katt.

She and Rei ran off, leaving Timmy to the rest of his ordinary day.


	13. Chapter 13

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

Dance Club Inferno!

The Flames of Discontent

Falco sped into the traffic of the freeway clearly above the speed of the other cars, for he weaved in and out of lanes rather rapidly. His skill and swiftness on the motorcycle was commendable yet still risky and terrifying. No real destination was plotted in his mind. It was almost as though he was trying to distance himself from something that was hot on his tail. It wasn't going to stop coming for him, but he had to keep getting away, never letting it win, never wanting to remember that person again. This initial burst of raw emotion distanced rational thoughts. The first time a thought manifested was when another motorcycle was following him.

Katt and Rei were in Katt's pink convertible and soon caught up to Falco, who was well over the speed limit.

"Don't you think you're going a little fast?" Rei said, noticing that they were passing most of the cars on the road.

"This is nothing," said Katt. "Falco is one speed demon of a guy. If you're not fast enough, you'll lose him for sure. I won't ever let him out of my sight."

"Who is that behind him?"

Both girls noticed the motorcycle that was getting awfully near Falco. Somehow Katt knew who it was, and she pressed harder on the accelerator. Falco knew perfectly well that it was Leon Powalski, for there were few others who were good enough to maneuver as well and able to keep up with him. Both new each others' moves well enough too since their pasts were interwoven here and there, none of which were pleasant instances. As a result, they hated each other, so no one was surprised when Leon rammed Falco on the side. He did it again. Falco was jolted into thinking again. Now rational thoughts about survival cast away his subconscious need to run away.

"He is being attacked!" exclaimed Rei.

"Hold on tight!" ordered Katt.

Katt shifted into a new gear and floored the petal. The other drivers, too, found that death was so possible and swerved to avoid the combatants, who had no regard for them at all. Leon rammed into Falco's side again, pushing Falco into the path of the car behind him. That driver struck down on the breaks quick enough to avoid hitting Falco. However, that car was struck from behind by another car that had not been quick enough to break, sending it flying off over Falco and Leon. Subsequent collisions followed with similar devastation ensuing. Katt swiftly, or jerkily, weaved around the piles of wreckage and bouncing cars.

"This is horrible!" gasped Rei.

Leon then shot ahead of Falco. Falco, who had already been on the edge that morning, was not going to let Leon get away with anything. The pursuit led Falco back into the town. Here, the traffic slowed and thickened, but that was not going to affect either racer. Though this increased traffic did help widen the gap between the two since Falco did slow as he had much more an awareness, or care, for the lives around him. Leon, in contrast, used them to his gain. He would sharply cut into their ways on purpose to slow them down and hinder Falco. Leon even used the sidewalks, which caused rampart terror. Red lights could not even intimidate him or Falco. So many cars screeched to stops and were rear-ended in doing so. Falco soon came to the realization that Leon was purposely leading him somewhere. This became concrete when Leon turned into an alley. Falco halted and dismounted and found that the alley was adjacent to The Inferno dance club. Leon's bike was parked next to a backdoor leading into the club. The door was wide open too, so Falco was certain this was a trap. Yet that was not enough to extinguish his rage against the chameleon.

Katt and Rei arrived a few minutes later, having lost track of the two during their chase in the city streets.

"I see Falco's bike," Katt said as she put the car into park. "They must be in the club. Come on. Falco may be in danger. You can stay here. I'm sorry to have brought you into this. You must be totally freaked."

"You would be surprised to how much freaky I can handle" said Rei. "The people in the club may get harmed if there is a fight. I'm coming with you just in case there needs to be some crowd control."

Katt nodded. They entered the club. There was a much different atmosphere here than at Club Fun. Every wall was painted with a sadistically blood-like crimson that was not to dissimilar to the real thing. A grander budget was used here, for there were separate dance floors up on platforms that were suspended against walls or by wires on the ceiling with spiraling staircases leading up to the fires. Gargantuan lava lamps were the sources for most of the gloomy, hellish light as well as heat. Blackness or bloody crimson was part of every bit of furniture. Booths of black leather had blood tables. The small candles on the tables were in scarlet glass. All the lights stayed within single color scheme, never diverging into a melody of dazzling pieces of the rainbow, but being only the colors of hellfire. The fires of strove lights come upon the rowdy ravers, whose motions were quite more aggressive as well. Bodies dripping with sweat, muscles pumping the limbs to horrid motions, the degradation of minds, the ecstasy ingested by most was in control. White powder was spilled over some tables with hordes sitting around the powders with straws. Every now and then couples collapsed onto the floor during fiery moments of passion with the crowds absolutely oblivious. Like demons of the underworld, the ravers jerked and rocked and twisted to the insidious of stereo drums. This was not whimsical. This was horrifying.

"What has gotten into you, PaRappa?" Matt said harshly.

He, PaRappa, and P.J. were backstage.

"Shut up!" barked PaRappa. "You're not the boss of me. I'm the boss of you, and you keep giving me s***, yo' a** is grass, muddaf***a!"

"You never behaved this way before," said P.J. sleepily. "You got mean right after your last performance at Club Fun."

"I'm going on stage now," PaRappa said. "You got a problem, f*** yourself!"

Matt grabbed PaRappa's arm. "Listen! You have got to cool it. You've gone off on everyone, me, Bryon, Timmy, Emily. What do you think Sunny will think of you after she has heard all of the horrible things you've said?"

PaRappa punched Matt in the face, breaking the grip he had on PaRappa. "F*** you! I don't need her anymore," PaRappa said coldly.

Eugeal, disguised in her black leather gear, came over to him and placed her arms about him. "You ready for the show," she said seductively. She hated herself for sinking to such stupid behavior.

"Let's go," PaRappa said.

He came up onto the main stage alone. With a microphone in hand, he gave his liturgy.

"How da f*** is ebrybody?" he shouted.

All in the crowds were at attention even though they didn't look so.

"I'm gonna spin some sick s*** yo' way! A'ight! Get yo' s*** on the dance flo'!"

Like the pied piper, his spell put intoxicated ravers under his spell. Katt, Rei, and Falco were unaffected.

"He looks like a classy guy," Rei scoffed sarcastically.

"Now y'all gonna get ta be in a new world where da f***** crunk King of Evil, Ganondorf, rules!"

Rei gasped.

"That's a weird hook," said Katt.

All the ravers danced to the words that would bind their minds to worshipping Ganondorf. Dark Power misted down from the ceiling onto the crowds and diffusing throughout The Inferno. Eugeal, now in her witch uniform, came up behind PaRappa.

"Eugeal!" gasped Rei. "Katt, I'll be back…" She thought of an excuse to leave. "I left my phone in your car. I'll go get it." She ran off into a broom closet and pulled out her Crystal Change Rod. "Mars Crystal Power, Make-Up!" Rei transformed into Sailor Mars.

Falco, who had lost sight of Leon, watched PaRappa's uncharacteristically belligerent performance with Eugeal at his side. He recognized her right away and began to formulate some kind of plan.

"Hold it right there!" called Sailor Mars. Eugeal, PaRappa, Falco, and Katt all saw her standing in the fiery glow of a giant lava lamp. "Attacking ravers in the vulnerable stage of euphoria! Your noisome words are causing frenzy! In the name of Mars, I'll chastise you!"

"How could I have been found out already?" snapped Eugeal. She whipped out a microphone. Her shill voice rang out, paralyzing the dancers. "Get out of here! If you don't, you will be sorry."

"I'm not intimidated by you, Eugeal!" retorted Sailor Mars.

Eugeal smirked contently and wagged her finger at Mars. "I'm not the one who will intimidate you." She snapped her fingers. "PaRappa! Get hid of her!"

"PARAPPA!" screamed PaRappa as evil power erupted from him. He doubled over as black energy formed into a twister around his body. The blackness repelled off of him when he was done transforming into a demon. He rose up. His body was bloated and fat and covered in a sweat shirt and sweat pants of a blinding shade of red. His face was fat, too. When he smiled, he had a grill of gold and diamonds that looked disgusting. A large revolver was tucked under the elastic of his pants, and he had a proportionately large baseball bat. "Does PaRappa have to joke a b****?" He bellowed.

The crowds were suddenly shaken out of their euphoria and ran screaming for the exit. PaRappa leapt off the stage and slammed onto the dance floor. Then he charged Sailor Mars with his bat. Sailor Mar jumped up and dodged him. Right when she was at the crest of her jump, she was hit by a shot from a Beam Rifle. The shot couldn't kill her, but it did shock her and made her fall down onto the ground next to PaRappa. Falco saw where the shot had originated. Leon stood on one of the dance platforms with a Beam Rifle. He knew he could at least defeat Leon.

"Gotta teach you hoes a lesson!" roared PaRappa as he brought up his bat.

Sailor Mars back-flipped out of the way. She continued to back-flip until she jumped over a bar to achieve cover. PaRappa grabbed his gun and fired rounds at the bar, destroy bottles of liquor, damaging beer dispenser, making them spill out their contents onto Mars.

PaRappa stopped firing. "B****, come up and get a slap!"

"Fire…" Sailor Mars rose up from behind the bar. "…Soul!" The fireball shot out her index fingers and struck PaRappa, dowsing him in flames.

Leon aimed for another shot, but before he could shoot her, Falco came up from behind him and tackled him down onto the ground. The beam rifle slipped out of his hands and over the balcony, crashing down on the floor below. Leon wiggled out of his grip, and Falco sprang up to meet him.

"What is wrong, Powalski?" Falco smirked. "Did you forget about me?"

"On the contrary," said Leon coolly. "I purposely lured you here to expose you to the strong Dark Power."

Leon pulled out his knife and went for Falco's jugular. Falco slipped away from each stab and launched subsequent punches that did hit each time. Soon enough, Leon was starting to give up. Eugeal saw that Leon was losing and stepped in to help.

"Fire Buster!" From the stage, Eugeal launched a blast of fire for Falco. To avoid getting roasted, Falco leapt over out of the way. "Burn, turkey!"

PaRappa sprinted to the bar to pummel Sailor Mars.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!"

The golden chain struck PaRappa in the cheek, sending him onto a table. Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus stood together at an emergency exit.

"Naughty misogynists should keep their hands away from lovely girls!" said Sailor Moon. "For love and justice, we're pretty soldiers in sailor suits! I'm Sailor Moon!"

"Sailor Venus!"

"Sailor Jupiter!"

"Sailor Mercury!"

"And in the name of the moon, we'll punish you!"

"D*** it!" cursed Eugeal. She called up to Leon. "We're out of here!" Eugeal vanished in a swirl of darkness, and Leon soon did the same.

PaRappa struggled to get off his fat rump.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" called Sailor Mars.

"Right!" said Sailor Moon with the Moon Stick in hand. "Moon Healing Escalation!"

The white light struck PaRappa, and he screamed, "Refresh!" In a flash, he was returned to normal. He lay unconsciously on the floor.

"PaRappa!" Matt called as he and P.J. ran to him.

P.J. looked at Sailor Mars.

"Will he be okay?" he said dully.

"He is back to normal," said Sailor Mars. "Don't be mad at him for anything he did while possessed."

"Thank you," Matt and P.J. said gratefully.

Falco watched the Sailor Soldiers cheer in victory. Katt came up behind him.

"Those girls are pretty good, don't you think?" said Katt.

Falco eyed them curiously. Cold talon gripped his heart suddenly. A low laugh was only heard by him. "I guess."

Eugeal and Leon appeared before Ganondorf and Kaorinite in the cathedral. Neither Ganondorf nor Kaorinite was happy. The other witches and the rest of Star Wolf stood behind their teammates and apprehensively watched to see if their friends would be punished.

"Leon and Eugeal!" bellowed Ganondorf. "You two have failed to corrupt the youth of this world. I do not like failure. I should kill both of you now, but I will spare you, Eugeal, just as I did with Cyprine. You have only failed me twice. However, this is Leon's third time."

"You're not going to kill him, are you?" Wolf cried.

"Be silent, whelp!" Ganondorf roared. "Leon will not die though he serves no purpose to me. But I see that he does to you, Wolf."

Suddenly, a black crystal formed around Leon's body and encased him, freezing him within the prism, silencing his screams. All the observers, other than Ganondorf and Kaorinite, were stricken with horror.

"There is a chance that you can set him free, Wolf," Ganondorf said to him. "If you can do my bidding and succeed, Leon will be freed, and your son will be freed of my curse."

"_Your_ curse!" shouted Pather. "You're the one who turned Randal into a wolf pup? Monster! You will pay for this!"

Ganondorf smirked. His open palm rose up. His fingers coiled into a fist. Just then, Panther gripped his chest and screamed out in intense pain. His screams rattled throughout the cathedral and lingered in echoes. It was like a hand had grabbed hold of his beating heart and began squeezing and squeezing, tighter and tighter. When Ganondorf opened his fist, the pressure was gone.

"Let both of these accounts be lessons to all of you," said Ganondorf. "You are all under my control, and I can kill you in an instant and replace you."

Beside the altar, hidden in the shadows away from the candles' light, seven shadowy figures appeared.

"Andrew, Byruit," said Kaorinite, "the next mission is yours. Try not to screw up. If you do, Andrew will be frozen in crystal just like Leon."


	14. Chapter 14

Sailor Moon Chronicles R

Honorable Band of Thieves

Sly Cooper, Stage On!

Ganondorf was still immersed in tomes and parchments in the same position as earlier. Kaorinite came into the library chamber.

"Kaorinite…" Ganondorf said in a rolling voice, "you have news for me." He did not bother to look at her.

"Yes, my lord," she said with an honest bow. "I have come to tell you about the progress that our demon seeds have made."

"Progress?" Ganondorf repeated. "Before we started this venture, your reserves of Heartless have become sparse after all of you recent battles against the Sailor Soldiers, causing you to rely on my demons to form our armies until you obtain more Heartless. So far, all the demon seeds that I have given to the Witches 5 have been wasted. Then again, their choices have not been ideal for nesting demon. Due to the weak negative energy of the hosts, the demons could not mature and hatch out of the body. They only possessed the hosts and mutated them. Wolf, who I had personally cursed, is the only sure success story thus far. His demon will hatch out of the host soon. The two new ones you cursed, the two from Star Fox… There is still much room for error. They are acquainted with the Sailor Soldiers. If the Sailor Soldiers pick up on the demonic auras around them, they will purify the demons."

"I have taken that into account, my lord," said Kaorinite, honestly. "That is why Mystique and Ventress have been out searching for other candidates. They have found one ideal host."

"Oh?" said Ganondorf. His head rose out up, and his eyes finally left the stale pages. "Tell me more."  
"They came across a young thief who has suffered true terrors in his life like Wolf, Fox, and Falco. Though he is young, he has already earned a hefty reputation as a master thief. My lord, with your word, I will tell Mystique and Ventress to pursue this young man and make him the host of one of your future generals. They will also use his occupation as a thief to make him an enemy in the eyes of the Sailor Soldiers, further impeding any interaction other than conflict."

Ganondorf slowly swirled around in his chair. He smiled at Kaorinite. He had a stomach-churning smile. "You have my blessing, Kaorinite."

"Thank you, my lord," Kaorinite said gratefully with another bow.

She saw Ganondorf rub one of his shoulders.

"Is something ailing you, my lord?" she asked.

"I am just a little stiff," he answered. "Too much research and not enough exercise."

"Let me help you," she said.

Kaorinite proceed to rub Ganondorf's shoulders. As her creamy hands massaged his dark mantle, he smiled genuinely and so did she.

"You really know how to work the muscles," he said.

"It's just a little something I picked up from the geishas on Planet Dark, back in my own dimension," she said with a hint of seductiveness.

"What else did you learn there?" he asked, massaged into bliss.

"Oh, I can show you a lot of other things…"

The silence that is always preached to be upheld during the daytime was much more eerily gloomy at nighttime. The only audible sounds came from the night guards' footsteps and the ever so soft noise made when the security cameras pivoted. A new noise, so much softer and clearly not heard by the guards, entered the spectrum, the creak of a one of the dozens of windows of the rotunda opening. A rope fell down and stopped a little less than a meter from the ground floor. No guards patrolled the rotunda chamber at the moment the sneaky raccoon snuck inside. His light blue tabi boots gently touched down onto the floor. A sly grin stretched across his face, revealing his brilliantly white teeth. That smile was so charming that even the ladies in the paintings could help but smile. His clothing was of a blue and yellow color scheme: a blue hat, a blue shirt with a yellow collar, blue gloves with a yellow around the wrists, a yellow belt with a blue buckle baring his insignia, a drawing of a raccoon's face. His pants, which were folded in at the knee, were a gray color that was very close to the color of his gray fur. He wore a black, cloth mask over the natural black fur mask marking on his face. His right hand held a cane that had a large golden hook, like a letter C, at one end. Soon after two other, younger, raccoon thieves slid down the rope. These two were twins of age sixteen and of green fur. They, too, had masks over their mask markings. Their clothes were of similar style but different color, black. One wore a fedora. They had matching, sneaky smirks

The older thief crept along the shadows, masked by any eye. His feet were soundless. The guards were blind and deaf to his presence even when he was right behind them, pick-pocketing their keys and spare cash with his cane and deft hands. With the keys he needed, stolen from the guards, he made it to the vault that held his target. The combination, which he had stolen from the curator's office, opened the thick, steel door, revealing the contents he had been questing for, a silver crystal with an celestial shine that was in competition against his super white teeth. He placed it into his red backpack. This was an easy job for Sly Cooper.

"Sly, how is the training going?" Bentley asked Sly over the earpiece communicator.

"I got what I wanted," Sly said, eyeing his catch happily. "Shifty and Lifty haven't set of the alarm yet, so the training is going well."

Meanwhile, Shifty and Lifty had made their catch a set off jewels in a case. Shifty, the one with the fedora, took a small, sharp tool and carved a circular hole, and with a suction cup, Lifty quietly removed the carved circle. Then with synchronized snickers they shoveled the jewels into bags.

"Shifty, Lifty," Sly said to them over the communicator, "how's it going?"

"Everything is good, Boss," answered Shifty.

"Good," said Sly. "Now meet me back at the rotunda."

"You got it, Boss," said Lifty enthusiastically.

The two younger boys met up with Sly and followed him back up the rope. Sly Cooper, of age twenty-one, had already become an exceptional and revered thief and well known in the criminal underworld. Though he had only been at this work for few years, his name was on the hit list of many criminals as well as high up on the Interpol's "most wanted" list. He was the last of line of master thieves. Knowing that the Fates may not remain as kind as they have been to him, he had to make sure his knowledge would be passed down to someone. Being an orphan himself, he looked to orphanages for possible apprentices. He luckily found Shifty and Lifty, two twin raccoons with a habit of sneaking and stealing. They were grateful to Sly and were honored and blessed to be given the surname of Cooper.

Murray, one of Sly's best friends and teammates, waited in a getaway van for the three raccoon thieves. Murray was a pink, anthropomorphic hippopotamus, who was remarkably strong but a sweetheart.

"Did the little guys do good?" Murray asked Sly as the three thieves jumped into the back of the van.

"They're really coming along," said Sly with a father's pride. "No alarms were tripped this time."

Shifty and Lifty both snickered happily. The van sped down the streets of the Capital City in fantastic inconspicuousness all the way to their hideout, a place hidden away from the eyes of the innocent and, most importantly, the law enforcement and lawbreakers. It was dark, hidden, windowless, yet a home to the Cooper Gang. Bentley was at his desk, which was surrounded by computer screens and jury-rigged gadgets whose materials ranged from stolen tech to TV remotes and appliances and tape. He was brilliant a mind yet crippled physically. Sadly, an accident made him a paraplegic and condemned this smart turtle to a wheelchair. He poured over his latest contraption. His thick-lens, broad-framed spectacles hid the determined look in his eyes. When his friends came, he put the gadget aside.

"I gotta say," Bentley said in a heavily nasally voice. "I had my breath held the whole time. I was _really _expecting the alarms to go off, but they didn't. Shifty, Lifty, you two did a good job."

Sly patted each boy on the back. "You have really made me and past Cooper thieves proud, boys."

"Thanks, Boss!" the boys chirped with wide grins.

"It's really late, so you should get to bed," Sly said. "You have school in the morning."

"Right, Boss!" the twins said affirmatively. They both scurried off into the room they shared together.

"Those two could be actual blood Coopers," Sly said. "Their improvements are great."

"By the way, Sly," said Bentley, "I already have a job for you, and some news that affects your personal life. Which do you want to hear about first?"

"I just finished a job," sighed Sly," so give me the personal news."

"All right then," answered Bentley. "Come on in, Fox."

Sly grinned happily when he figured out what the news involved. Fox McCloud stepped out from behind a door.

"How's it going, Sly?" Fox asked casually.

"Fox, man…" Sly was so ecstatic. He joyously took his old friend's hand. "How long has it been? Five months? I just remember that we took down Muggshot together last time."

"You know how it can get," said Fox. "So many jobs have kept both of us busy. I know that you've had quite a bit to do recently. All the newspapers have been covering it. What's with all the action recently? It's more than usual."

"I've been training my two apprentices, Shifty and Lifty."

"Oh, yeah! I forgot about them. D***, Sly, you're twenty-one and already raising kids."

"You know that means you're falling behind me for once," Sly laughed. "Dude, I'm seven years younger, and I'm the one with a family. No wife yet but she'll come around."

"Carmelita Fox?" Fox chuckled. "I would really like to see how you plan to get the girl who is trying to put you in jail to come around."

"Say whatever you want," Sly retorted. "Even with that scenario, I'm probably going to tie the knot with Camelita sooner than you tie the knot with Krystal."

Fox's eyes narrowed. "I don't want to be tied down."

"I can't be that you have more wild oats to sow," said Sly. "By the way, I think I'm beating you in that category too."

"You were always a charmer," commented Fox. "My dad told me that your dad was the same way before he settled down."

That mention cooled down the conversation into an awkward silence that was only broken when Sly noticed Fox shutter.

"Are you cold?" Sly asked.

"I've been feeling cold… on the inside," Fox said, hugging himself. "I might be coming down with something. Falco probably gave it to me. He complained about feeling chills too."

"You should be resting if you're sick," said Murray.

"I guess," said Fox. "Man, Sly, you and me have gotta do something sometime, like the old days."

"You got it, Fox," Sly said with a thumbs-up.

Fox departed, and Bentley announced the business oriented news.

"We have gotten a job," said Bentley, reviewing the email. "The hirer wants to remain anonymous, but the payment amount is quite good for the mission's simplicity. We've been commissioned to steal a treasure from a wealthy woman. The woman's name is Serena Tsukino. She is apparently a worker of some kind (I have no idea what she does) at Sailor Scout Industries. She owns a beautiful, jeweled brooch that is desired by the hirer. She is currently checked into a hotel in the Capital City and is a deep sleeper."

"What's the catch?" Sly said bluntly. "It sounds way too easy."

"Well… the catch is… pretty big," Bentley said as he scratched his head nervously. "You have seen the news, right?"

"Where's this going?" asked Sly.

"Those Sailor Soldiers that have been on the front pages and all the news channels. They work for Sailor Scout Industries too, so there is a chance that you might run into one of them."

"What's so bad about that?" Sly asked with genuine curiosity.

"Have you seen those girls?" Bentley gasped. "They can shoot lightning and fireballs and light beams and can blast demons into pieces. What do you think they will do to you if they catch you?"

'"If they catch me'?" Sly repeated, flabbergasted. "Do you know me? No one can catch me."

Bentley sighed. "Just be extra careful, Sly."

Serena and Darien had just retired to their room at the hotel. Luna, Serena's talking cat, had taken residence in their room with them.

"I am so tired," whined Serena as she flopped onto the bed.

"Why are you tired?" scoffed Luna. "You just went shopping all day. Amara and Michelle were out searching for clues from dawn to dusk. They have the right to say they are tired."

"You never stop nagging me," complained Serena. "Give me a break."

"You are to become a queen someday," said Luna. "I am training you for that day."

"Right now it is nighttime," said Serena. She put her transformation brooch, the Crisis Moon Compact, on the nightstand and undress. "So now I can sleep."

Serena and Darien snuggled into bed together and Luna curled up at the foot of the bed; all three entered swiftly into dreamland.

Meanwhile, Sly Cooper, who was perched up on the rooftop of an adjacent building peered into the hotel room with his binoculars. Like a hawk who was staring down at his prey, waiting for just the right moment to swoop down, Sly waited for the right moment, not too soon to be caught by them if they were awake. Once the time was right, he jump down. His feet were light, and his legs were like springs. He summoned a portable glider and glided silently to the hotel. He didn't land at their window, but on the balcony a few floor below theirs. No one had a clue that he was scaling the face of the hotel. With his cane, he grappled up to the next balcony and repeated this until he was on their balcony. Luckily for him, Serena and Darien wanted to have fresh air while they slept, so the balcony door was wide open. He crouched down and slipped into the room. His suave brown eyes meticulously scanned the room for the brooch. Luckily for him again, Serena had left it out in the open on her nightstand. He smirked and laughed out loud in his mind at the lack of challenge or danger.

_Looks like Bentley worried too much about this one._

Sly inched along the white carpeting, which hushed his already mute footsteps. The Crisis Moon Compact was beautiful. The gold edges and winglets and crescent moon, pink crystalline gems: it was certainly valuable, Sly knew that much. He swiped it and stashed it into his backpack. Before he could leave, he had to leave his calling card. From his sleeve he plucked a card shaped like the Cooper Clan's insignia and placed it in the same spot where the Crisis Moon Compact used to be.

"Give it back!"

Sly jumped. However, he had nothing to worry about, for Serena was talking in her sleep.

"Gimme back my donut, Sarah Palin! Friggin' crazy lady!"

Sly rolled his eyes and proceeded to the exit. She kicked and struck Luna, knocking her awake. Luna's yelp caught Sly's attention long enough for Luna to notice his presence.

_Intruder!_ Luna thought.

"Be a good kitty and go back to sleep," Sly whispered with a small itch of nervousness.

Luna sprang up and pounced onto Sly's face with her claws. He shrieked as he stumbled against the wall with a bang. Darien shot awake. Serena was still asleep.

"Burglar!" He shouted. He jumped out of bed.

Sly yanked Luna off of his face just in time to have Darien land a punch to his left cheek. Luna went to wake Serena.

"Serena!" Luna called. "Wake up!"

"Five more minutes…" Serena rolled over.

"Serena, Darien is in trouble!"

"Darien is in trouble!" Serena shot up. She saw that Sly was turning the tables on Darien. Sly sent him to the floor with a swipe of his cane. "Darien! That thief made a huge mistake trying to steal from us." She reached over to the nightstand to grab her Crisis Moon Compact. "Moon Crisis, Make-Up!"

When absolutely nothing happened, Serena said, baffled, "What's wrong?" She shrieked when she discovered that she was only holding the Cooper calling card. "He stole my brooch!"

Sly, who had dispatched Darien, gave Serena a quick smile and tip of his hat before dashing out of the room and leaping off of the balcony.

"Serena, call the others!" Luna said urgently.

Sly jumped over the railing and free-fell for a bit until a flag pole that jutted out of the side of the building came into near view. He grabbed onto the pole with his cane and ripped the flag off of it and used it to parachute down to the roof of a short, nearby building. Once there, he charged off again and leapt from roof to roof. He soon found that he was being followed. Suddenly, Sailor Venus and Sailor Jupiter popped up in his path.

"Hold it right there, thief!" shouted Sailor Venus. "I will not allow any evildoers to get away with crimes. The Sailor Soldier of love and beauty, Sailor Venus, will give you divine punishment."

"I, Sailor Jupiter, will not forgive anyone that steals from innocent girls."

Sly smiled at them. "I have only seen you girls on TV. The camera does not do you justice."

Venus and Jupiter were taken by this flattering and blushed. "That's really nice of you," said Sailor Venus.

"I mean it too," he continued. "I wish I could have met you on the street in different circumstances. Then I could ask you out on a date."

This was really disarming the girls. "Go on," Sailor Jupiter said turning away, trying to hide her rosy cheeks.

"Dinner, dancing, movie: it would all be just for your pleasure."

So far, Sly had almost completely distracted them from the fact that he was a thief. Suddenly, Sailor Venus snapped to it. "Stop trying to distract us, Casanova! Not every girl is fooled by a suave voice and sweet words."

"You could have fooled me," Sly retorted slyly.

Sailor Venus and Jupiter were steamed. "We weren't going to hurt you," roared Sailor Jupiter, "but now we're going to make it hurt. Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

Sailor Jupiter lobbed a light-strength orb of lightning at Sly. Sly swiftly leapt out of the way.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!" Sailor Venus whipped her conjured golden chain and tried to lasso Sly down. When the whip came mere inches from him, he bent his body and narrowly avoided damage. Suddenly, he dashed off and jumped off the building. Jupiter and Venus quickly followed and found that he had landed on his getaway van. As the van drove off, he blew them a kiss.

"He is fast and such a womanizer," Jupiter seethed.

"He is headed for where Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune are," said Sailor Venus.

"Let's see if his tricks work against girls that aren't into guys," Sailor Jupiter laughed.

Sly slipped through the window and landed in the passenger's seat while Murray was at the wheel. Bentley was in the back with computer monitors on every wall, minus the door.

"You guys made it just in time," said Sly. "Those Sailor Soldiers don't play around."

"I hate to say I told you so," remarked Bentley.

"Then don't," retorted Sly.

"Don't worry, guys," said Murray clownishly. "The Murray is here to save the day."

Bentley eyed a monitor with a grim expression. "You might want to kick it into high gear because we're being followed by two Sailor Soldiers on a motorcycle."

Sailor Uranus drove the motorcycle; Sailor Neptune was the passenger. Both girls, of course, wore helmets that masked their faces behind thick visors. Sailor Uranus's customized hyper sport bike to be sleek, streamlined, smooth. The metallic shine and of the golden paint was refulgent under the ever passing strove lights that were actually street lamps. Thankfully, traffic was quite light at this late hour, so both Murray and Sailor Uranus were liberal in their uses of the acceleration. Murray, who was a professional racer, was dumbfounded by Sailor Uranus's skill. Of course, he had no idea that she too was a professional racer. He had to shake her, and the light drizzle of traffic on the freeway was not going to do it.

"Any ideas on how to shake them?" Sly asked.

"I have one," said Murray nervously, "but it's really risky."

"It's worth a shot," said Sly.

Murray yanked the van off of the freeway and headed for an ever-thickening forest of fantastically tall and commercially thriving buildings. These magnificent, sky-punching congregation centers of commerce were so tall and had elevated walkways so frequent to connected building to building that a canopy of chrome could have defied a canopy of leaves. Stars on posts and in the frames of windows made this high-speed chase one of bedazzling sparks and ribbons of luminosity; signs radiate and magnetic to the eye of spectral rainbows of neon flame and the contrasting darkness of the night and with the often mirroring walls of silvery chrome or windowed walls, O' all came together in a kaleidoscope of awesome. Sailor Uranus was narrowing the gap, and Murray was growing ever sweatier.

"Don't you have some gadgets stashed in this van?" said Sly.

"I got a few," said Murray, "but I kinda don't want to make those girls madder than they all ready are."

"If they catch us, it's the gallows for us, Murray," Sly bellowed.

"Gotcha!" Murray affirmed. He pressed a button on the steering wheel.

That button opened the cap to release a stream of oil onto the road. Sailor Uranus laughed at the monotony of it all. She effortlessly avoided the oil slick.

"It didn't work!" Bentley said urgently. "They're still gaining on us."

"You've got to have something in that big brain that can save our skins," said Sly.

"I just might," said Bentley, rummaging through a suitcase. He retrieved a basketball-sized metallic ball. "This is the energy drain. It will drain all the energy from machines and electronic devices within its limited range. It should short-circuit their bike."

Sly took the energy drain. He leaned out of the passenger window and lobbed the ball at the girls. Once it activated in midflight, a blue light radiated from it. Any electronic device in that light would be drained of all power. The ball was crashing into their path. They were almost in its range when…

"Deep Submerge!"

Sailor Neptune fired a blast of energy that destroyed the energy drain before its zapping light touched them.

"Well, that didn't work," said Sly casually.

"World Shaking!"

Sailor Uranus gathered energy in one hand and flung it at the van. Luckily, Murray saw it in the side mirror and swerved out of the way. Unfortunately, Murray swerved onto the sidewalk and into a descending set of grand steps. Each step jolted the three in a rapid staccato of up and down, up and down.

"This is getting too crazy, you guys," Murray said fearfully. His voice was vibrating from the van's descent down the steps. "They're gonna kill us!"

Steps lead down into a grand plaza of statues and fountains. A grand fountain of beautiful woman with butterfly wings was in the epicenter of the plaza's majestic grandeur and splendor. To further add to the thieves' misfortune, a pelican drop ship housing Link and the other Sailor Soldiers hovered down from the sky into their path. The van swerved to a stop. Sailor Uranus and Neptune drove down a smoothed incline, avoiding the ups and downs of the stairs.

"Give it up, b****!" Sailor Venus called through the megaphone built into the pelican. "It's the end of the line."

Bentley and Murray looked apprehensively at Sly, who was expressionless. He grinned.

"You know, I really thought that Inspector Carmelita Fox would be the one to finally nab me," he joked. Without a word to his teammates, Sly opened the door and stepped out.

"Sly!" called his two friends desperately.

Sly stepped out with his can and stopped, facing Sailor Uranus and Neptune, who were off the bike and had shed their helmets.

"We're glad to see that you've come to your senses and given up," said Sailor Neptune condescendingly.

"I have your treasured brooch," said Sly. "You can have it back and can capture me only if you let my friends in the van get away."

"I don't think letting them get away is going to happen," said Sailor Uranus smoothly.

"What?" Sly said, shocked. "Why not? I have given up."

"Aside from them being accessories to a crime," said Sailor Uranus, "we can't let you get back to your master."

"What master?" Sly questioned. "I work for me and me alone."

"Don't deny it," snapped Uranus. "The only reason why you would steal a brooch from a relatively unknown girl is if someone asked you to do so. Only Ganondorf and Kaorinite would do that."

"Ganondorf?" repeated Sly, clueless to who that was. "I don't know any Ganondorf or Kaorinite."

"You can't smooth talk you're way at of this one!" Sailor Venus said haughtily, still in the pelican with the other five Sailor Soldiers and Link.

"World Shaking!" Upon thrusting her hand up and gathering energy, Uranus sent the energy ball screaming for Sly Cooper. But before it could hit, it was intercepted by a strange blast. Everyone looked to see that several large, winged, purple demons, similar to the skinny pink ones, were coming to rescue of Sly Cooper. The demons then shot at the pelican drop ship.

"We're hit!" called Sailor Mars.

Sailor Venus, who was driving, made an awkward, crash-esque landing. The door opened, and the Sailor Soldiers and Link spilled out.

"Sly!" called Bentley. "Get back in here!"

Sly dashed into the van. "What are those things?"

"I have no idea," said Bentley, "but they saved us for some reason."

Murray floored the acceleration.

"The demons are a distraction," alerted Sailor Jupiter. "The thieves are getting away."

"We can't just leave these demons here," said Sailor Mercury.

"Don't worry," said Sailor Pluto calmly. "Tuxedo Mask is still after them."

The thieves sped fast and furiously though the vacant streets. The moon was full and epic tonight. The seraphic and judgmental moonlight rained down onto the city. Although the buildings were high and made huge shadow, the moonlight bounced from wall to wall and still caught the thieves.

Suddenly, the front left tire blew out, causing Murray to struggle in keeping the van from crashing. With hard twist of the wheel, he skidded to a final stop.

"We must have driven over a nail or something," said Murray, scratching his head.

"That was more than a nail," said Bentley. "One nail couldn't blowout one of _my _reinforced tires that easily."

"I'll go check it out," said Sly, opening the door.

Sly inched around the van to the front left wheel. The light of a single street lamp spotlighted the van in the middle of the street. The night was of solid silence. Everyone slept or was just somewhere else, leaving not a peep. No one would hear anything on this street, making a murder choice. Upon kneeling down to find what the obstruction was, he saw that a single red rose jutted out of the deflated tire. He took it in his hand and stood up slowly, staring at it.

"Who could have done this?" he whispered.

A shadow came over him. Sly pivoted to see what cast the shadow. A masked man in a cape, tuxedo, and top hat stood before him. Sly couldn't must a single thought to explain this one. It was Tuxedo Mask, and he was pissed.

"A thief with a cloak and a dagger sneaks into the room of the innocent for his own selfish gains," said Tuxedo Mask. "No matter how many ledges you creep along, no matter how long you hide in the shadows, no matter how fast you drive away, I, Tuxedo Mask, will stop you!"

Murray and Bentley leaned out to watch. Sly snickered at the corny speech. "I take it that you're with those angry girls in the miniskirts."

Tuxedo Mask didn't respond with words. He responded by throwing rose like a knife. The rose nailed the side of the van near Sly's head. Sly felt a warm liquid drip down his cheek. Sly touched his hand to his cheek and found that the rose had made a cut. He was shocked by the quickness of Tuxedo Mask's deft abilities. The cane Tuxedo Mask held turned into a sword.

"Take weapon in hand and face me, thief," said Tuxedo Mask dryly. "My victory will win me the treasure that you stole."

Sly wiped the blood off his face, gripped his cane with both hands, and grinned. "Bring it on, prom night!"

When the sword and cane clashed, Tuxedo Mask proved to be a bit swifter in his strikes, but Sly wasn't to be counted as the instant loser. Sly had been used to fighting opponents and was known of his strength and skill. However, he had less practice fighting enemies whose close range combat skills were excellent. Also, Sly had gotten cushy from sneaking up on his foes, yet he still couldn't be counted out. Tuxedo Mask did struggle to land a swipe on the raccoon for a while before his sword did make a cut in his flesh. Sly jumped back. The laceration ran across his chest. It was not deep since Tuxedo Mask had no intention of killing Sly, but Sly still felt that this man was indeed trying to kill him.

"You're not as wimpy as you look," said Sly cockily, now beginning to feel a tad worried.

Not caring to retort verbally, Tuxedo Mask thrust his sword forward, taking Sly yet again by surprise. Sly's dodge was a hair off, and his left shoulder was sliced open. He gripped his wound with his hand. The crimson fluid trickled down his arm and seeped between his fingers quickly. Yet he was in pain, he grinned.

"Finally a challenge," Sly said, heaving from a lack of breath.

"Unless you want to be cut up like a Christmas goose," Tuxedo Man said dryly, "hand over the brooch you stole."

"I still got my boys in the shadows," said Sly.

Just then, Murray burst out of the van speedily and in a rage. The tubby, stampeding hippo charged Tuxedo Mask. Tuxedo Mask threw a rose. The petal shattered on contact with Murray's brow. This maneuver blinded him and knocked onto his back.

Sly's eyes left Tuxedo Mask for Murray. For that split second, Tuxedo Mask sliced through the cords on Sly's backpack, causing it to fall and open upon crashing on the ground. Along with an assortment of gadgets, the brooch erupted from the red backpack. Tuxedo Mask swiped it and leapt away out of the scene. Murray sat up, brushing the petals off his face. The sounds of sirens echoed through the desolate city streets.

"Murray, change that tire fast!" called Sly. "The cops are coming!"


End file.
